Institute of Legal and Management Studies

The Supreme Court emphasised that High Court Judges are in no way inferior to the Supreme Court Judges and enjoy the same constitutional position.

Although the Supreme Court can judicially reverse or modify the decisions of the High Court, it does not mean that the Supreme Court has administrative control over the High Court.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, Justice K Vinod Chandran and Justice NV Anjaria made these observations while directing certain lawyers, who made scandalous allegations against a Telangana High Court Judge in a transfer petition, to tender unconditional apology to the Judge.

The Court's observations also assume relevance in the context of the developments of last week, where a bench of the Supreme Court directed the removal of an Allahabad High Court Judge from criminal jurisdiction for passing a wrong order. Later, that order was withdrawn by the bench after a request made by the Chief Justice of India.

In today's order, the bench led by CJI observed :

"The judges of the High Court are also constitutional functionaries; they enjoy the same immunity as judges of the Supreme Court. Under the constitutional scheme, the judges of the High Court are in no way inferior to judges in the Supreme Court. Though judges of the Supreme Court can reverse, affirm, or modify the decision of judges of the High Court, it has no administrative control over either the administration of the High Court or the judges of the High Court."

While directing the lawyers to apologise to the High Court Judge, the bench added :

"As such scandalous allegations are made against the judges; it becomes the duty of this Court to protect the judges of the High Court."

Case Details : IN RE: N. PEDDI RAJU AND ORS. Versus| SMC(C) No. 3/2025