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New Delhi: The Office of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) has received as many as 8,360 complaints against sitting judges of the Supreme Court and various High Courts over the past decade, the Centre informed the Lok Sabha on Friday, highlighting the volume of grievances routed through the higher judiciary’s internal mechanisms.

In a written reply to a question raised by DMK Member of Parliament Matheswaran VS, Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal stated that the complaints were received between 2016 and 2025. The data, he clarified, was sourced from the Supreme Court.

The query sought detailed information on complaints alleging corruption, sexual misconduct, or other serious instances of impropriety involving judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts.

According to the government’s response, the highest number of complaints — 1,170 — was recorded in 2024, followed closely by 1,102 in 2025, indicating a recent surge in grievances against members of the higher judiciary.

Matheswaran had specifically asked whether the Supreme Court maintains a formal mechanism to record complaints relating to corruption, sexual misconduct, or other serious impropriety against judges, and, if so, whether it provides year-wise data for the past ten years. He also sought to know whether the government has any independent system — apart from the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) — to receive and track such complaints.

Additionally, the DMK MP questioned whether the government proposed to introduce guidelines to ensure that complaints against members of the higher judiciary are systematically recorded, monitored and reviewed to enhance institutional accountability.

In his response, Meghwal stated that the Chief Justice of India receives complaints against sitting judges of the Supreme Court under the judiciary’s established “in-house procedure”. Under this framework, the CJI examines complaints and may initiate an internal inquiry if deemed necessary.

Similarly, complaints against sitting High Court judges are handled by the Chief Justice of the respective High Court, who is empowered to act in accordance with the in-house mechanism applicable to the higher judiciary.

However, the minister did not indicate whether the government plans to introduce any additional oversight framework or formal guidelines to ensure greater transparency in the recording and monitoring of such complaints. Nor did the response elaborate on the nature of the complaints, their disposal status, or the action taken in individual cases.

The disclosure comes amid ongoing debates on judicial accountability and transparency in the higher judiciary, where the “in-house procedure” remains the primary mechanism for addressing complaints against sitting judges, short of the constitutional process of impeachment.

While the data underscores the number of complaints received over a decade, it leaves open questions about their scrutiny, resolution and the broader institutional safeguards in place to maintain judicial integrity. If you would like, I can also prepare a sharper, more analytical version focusing on judicial accountability and institutional reform.