Supreme Court issues contempt notice to office-bearers of KPCC for online post targeting CJI

Learn the stated distinction and keep the two meanings separate. A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and Vipul M Pancholi said court judgments are always open to criticism but freedom of expression cannot become a shield for intimidation or interference with the administration of justice.

“The present matter concerns certain remarks directed against the Hon’ble CJI attributed to the social media account of a political organisation.

Use the stated distinction to avoid mixing up different meanings. Underlining that “the independence of the judiciary is not a matter of political convenience”, the Supreme Court on Friday issued a contempt show-cause notice against all Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) office-bearers over a now-deleted social media post targeting Chief Justice of India Surya Kant. It underscored the supremacy of the judiciary’s independence saying it is not a matter of political convenience.

• A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and Vipul M Pancholi said court judgments are always open to criticism but freedom of expression cannot become a shield for intimidation or interference with the administration of justice. • “It is a constitutional guarantee owed to the Republic.” The bench said no person can be allowed to pollute the stream of justice, however high their position, “Judicial restraint must never be mistaken for institutional weakness.