Archive · 8 Oct 2026
Justice Oka Says Bhuyan’s Remarks Did Not Cross Judicial Limits
Justice Abhay Oka was asked about remarks made by Justice Ujjal Bhuyan.
Bhuyan had said courts cannot accept the mass disenfranchisement of voters.
Oka said he read Bhuyan’s speech carefully.
He found that it did not discuss the details of a case waiting to be decided or a Supreme Court order about voter-list revisions.
Oka said judges should not publicly comment on cases that they or fellow judges are deciding.
But he said judges can take part in academic discussions as students of law.
Oka described Bhuyan’s remarks as a discussion of why voting rights matter in a democracy.
He said Bhuyan had not crossed a judicial boundary.
Former Supreme Court judge Abhay Oka said Justice Ujjal Bhuyan committed no judicial impropriety.
Oka said Bhuyan’s speech did not address the merits of a pending case or a Supreme Court order on the Special Intensive Revision.
Oka said judges should avoid public comments on cases pending before their own or a coordinate bench.
He argued that judges, as citizens, can join academic discussions about important national issues.
Oka said Bhuyan was discussing adult franchise and democracy with law students, and had not crossed judicial limits.
- Who
- Former Supreme Court judge Abhay Oka defended Justice Ujjal Bhuyan’s remarks.
- What
- Oka said Bhuyan did not commit judicial impropriety by discussing mass disenfranchisement and adult franchise.
- When
- The comments were made during an interaction; no date is specified.
- Where
- The interaction was with former Judge Advocate General Nilendra Kumar, founder-director of Lex Consilium Foundation; no location is specified.
- Why
- Oka said Bhuyan was discussing the importance of adult franchise and democracy in an academic setting, not the merits of a pending case.
- Former judge
- Justice Abhay Oka
- Judge defended
- Justice Ujjal Bhuyan
- Issue discussed
- Mass disenfranchisement of voters and adult franchise
- Oka’s assessment
- Bhuyan committed no judicial impropriety and did not cross limits
- Case-related context
- Oka said the speech did not address the merits of a pending case or a Supreme Court order concerning the Special Intensive Revision
- Interaction
- With former Judge Advocate General Nilendra Kumar, founder-director of Lex Consilium Foundation