Supreme Court Sets Guidelines for Courts on Summoning Govt Officials

The Supreme Court of India has established new guidelines, including a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), to regulate the summoning of government officials to court. This decision comes in response to instances where high courts, notably the Allahabad High Court, summoned officials arbitrarily, which the apex court found unconstitutional. The bench, headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, emphasized that the power of criminal contempt should not be used to coerce officials and that remarks meant to humiliate them are inappropriate. The SOP stipulates that personal appearances of officials should be limited to exceptional cases and that high courts should refrain from commenting on their dress or appearance. Moreover, the Supreme Court nullified the Allahabad High Court's orders against two Uttar Pradesh finance department secretaries and advised that video-conferencing should be utilized for in-person appearances when necessary, with advance notice given to the officials concerned.