The Supreme Court agreed to hear pleas over disruptions caused by Delhi protests. The bench said democratic demonstrations cannot obstruct court work or access.
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Newdelhi,Oct 12, 2026 13:40 IST
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Monday said democratic activities must go on smoothly, but they should not disrupt the functioning of the Supreme Court or the movement of lawyers, court staff and litigants. He made the remarks after agreeing to hear pleas, including one filed by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), over difficulties faced by lawyers amid protests in Delhi.
A bench of Chief Justice Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana took note of submissions by senior advocate and SCBA president Pradeep Rai, who flagged the problems arising from the protests. The court said it had no issue with democratic activity, but made it clear that the Supreme Court should not be affected.
"Democratic activities must take place smoothly, but there should be no obstruction to the functioning of the Supreme Court or movement of lawyers, court staff and litigants," the CJI said. He added, "You must also see that all democratic activities take place smoothly. There is no difficulty with that. But at least the functioning of the Supreme Court must not be affected. This is what we have said. We are not a political party. The institution is performing institutional duties. I have appealed to protesters also."
One of the senior lawyers said that, given what they had gone through in the last two days, the matter could be taken up on Tuesday. Rai told the bench, "We are performing our professional duties. Political parties should not interfere in our domain. An independent lawyer has also filed the petition expressing genuine difficulties."
The CJI said he had appealed to the protesters as well. "They may belong to any political party, and we are not concerned with that. But the court should not be dragged into any kind of political activity," Chief Justice Kant said. The bench stressed that there should be no incitement or obstruction in the functioning of the court, or in the movement of lawyers, court staff and litigants.
The protests in Delhi are being held to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. On Saturday, the SCBA had condemned the reported use of "excessive force" against lawyers who were on their way to Jantar Mantar to take part in a protest called by the CJP against the CEC. The association had also urged the CJI to intervene urgently in the matter. The plea comes amid concerns over the effect of the protests on lawyers and the smooth functioning of judicial institutions in the capital.
The court, while agreeing to hear the pleas, underlined that democratic protests could continue but said the Supreme Court's work and access to it must remain free from obstruction or political activity.
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