Double standards

Alternatively,what confidence would litigants appearing before district judge Mishra have,knowing that he has been pronounced guilty by a superior court? The other question,one that Mishras supporters raise,is the nature of the probe against Mishra. The inquiry was closed-door,hardly the kind of trial our judiciary would be proud of. Since he has been so publicly judged,should not he be given a chance to publicly defend himself? After all,thats a right all those accused in the Indian judicial system are guaranteed.

Either way,the larger question is of judicial accountability. Since Mishra was only an additional judge,it was possible to transfer him. Had he been a confirmed high court judge,disciplining him would have involved a never-done-before impeachment. This is why many HC judges are sometimes transferred to high courts elsewhere begging the same question that residents of Kalahandi must ask: are they to receive lower quality justice? As the government mulls a new Judges Standards and Accountability Bill,these are some questions for the state and the courts to jointly consider.