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Jethmalani Raises Questions Over Judiciary's Transparency And Corruption
Mahesh Jethmalani gave a speech about problems he believes are hurting trust in India’s courts.
He said people are worried about delays, corruption and secretive decisions about judges.
He discussed a case involving cash found at the home of former Justice Yashwant Varma.
A committee investigated the matter, and Varma later resigned, but Jethmalani said no police case had been filed.
He asked why there is no nationwide list showing complaints against judges and what happened to those complaints.
He also said some tribunals take too long to decide cases.
He suggested tracking tribunal work more closely or moving bankruptcy cases back to High Courts.
Finally, he said some lawyers act as middlemen and help corruption continue.
Senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani criticized alleged lapses, delays and corruption in India’s judiciary at the Ram Jethmalani Memorial Lecture in New Delhi.
He cited the cash-at-home controversy involving former Justice Yashwant Varma and said no First Information Report had been filed even after about 18 months.
Jethmalani called for transparent collegium appointments and a nationwide database tracking complaints and disciplinary action against judges.
He proposed monitoring tribunals through a national tribunal data grid or returning bankruptcy jurisdiction from tribunals to High Courts.
He blamed “fixer lawyers” for facilitating corruption and urged the legal profession to take stronger action against intermediaries and misconduct.
- Who
- Senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani spoke at an event attended by Union Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, lawyer Harish Salve and others.
- What
- Jethmalani raised concerns about judicial credibility, the Yashwant Varma cash controversy, collegium secrecy, complaint tracking, tribunal delays and alleged corruption involving lawyers.
- Where
- The 6th Ram Jethmalani Memorial Lecture in New Delhi.
- When
- The speech took place on 14 September, identified in the article as a Monday; the year is not specified.
- Why
- Jethmalani said greater transparency and faster action were needed to restore public confidence in the judiciary and legal system.
Jethmalani’s Reform Proposals
Institutional And Procedural Considerations
Investigation into the Varma controversy
Jethmalani’s Reform Proposals
Jethmalani argued that swift, clear action was needed and questioned why no FIR had been filed after about a year and a half.
Institutional And Procedural Considerations
He acknowledged uncertainty over which authority should initiate the process, including whether police or the Central Bureau of Investigation could file an FIR and whether presidential approval was required.
Tracking complaints against judges
Jethmalani’s Reform Proposals
Jethmalani called for a pan-India database recording complaints, investigations and disciplinary outcomes to improve transparency and detect delays.
Institutional And Procedural Considerations
The existing National Judicial Data Grid primarily records cases, orders, judgments, pendency and disposal, rather than complaints against judges; the article does not report a formal response supporting or rejecting his proposal.
Bankruptcy tribunals
Jethmalani’s Reform Proposals
Jethmalani suggested monitoring tribunals through a national data grid or abolishing tribunalisation of bankruptcy jurisdiction and returning it to High Courts.
Institutional And Procedural Considerations
A Supreme Court petition seeking a tribunal data grid was reportedly rejected on the stated basis that funds allocated to the court were intended for e-courts and tribunals, though the petitioner was allowed to seek help from the Law and Justice Ministry.
Key facts
- Speaker
- Mahesh Jethmalani, senior advocate
- Event
- 6th edition of the Ram Jethmalani Memorial Lecture
- Varma case
- A fire at an outhouse linked to former Justice Yashwant Varma revealed burnt and partially burnt sacks containing cash in Rs 500 denominations, according to Jethmalani.
- Public trust figures
- Jethmalani cited Daksh data showing 60–70% complete confidence in the judiciary in 2017, while a later C-Voter India Today survey found 30% full trust, 12% partial trust, 48% no trust and 10% with no opinion.
- Varma’s status
- Varma was removed from judicial responsibilities, investigated by a three-judge panel and resigned in April of the year referenced by the article.
- Complaint database
- Jethmalani said there is no nationwide database covering complaints against higher- or subordinate-court judges and their outcomes.
- Uttarakhand figures
- From January 2020 to April 2025, Uttarakhand’s High Court vigilance mechanism received 258 complaints related to judicial corruption; four led to disciplinary or criminal proceedings.
- Tribunal proposals
- Jethmalani proposed a national tribunal data grid or abolition of tribunalisation of bankruptcy jurisdiction in favor of High Courts.
Quotes
Mahesh Jethmalani
Senior advocate speaking at the Ram Jethmalani Memorial Lecture
“The future of the bar should belong to lawyers who believe only in winning their case on merits. In other words, the bar should be a repository of lawyers who know the law and not the judge.”
opindia.com
“The existence of corruption in the judiciary or tribunals is contingent upon the activities of fixer lawyers who manipulate the legal system by facilitating bribery.”
opindia.com
Sources
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