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Supreme Court Collegium to Draft Objective Policy for High Court Judge Transfers
✍️ Times of India
🗓 12 Nov 2026, 07:29 AM
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The Supreme Court collegium is formulating a systematic, objective framework to govern the transfer of judges across high courts, aiming to curb personal bias and improve accountability.
The Supreme Court collegium has begun work on a comprehensive policy that will standardise the transfer of judges among India's high courts. The draft aims to replace the existing ad‑hoc approach with clear, objective criteria.
At present, judge transfers are largely decided on personal considerations, a practice the collegium says can lead to inconsistencies and perceptions of favoritism. By moving to a rule‑based system, the apex court hopes to bring greater transparency to the process.
The proposed framework will focus on measurable factors such as a judge's expertise, conduct record and the needs of individual high courts. Emphasising objective reasoning is intended to minimise bias and strengthen accountability for judicial performance.
If adopted, the policy could mark a significant step toward enhancing the integrity and efficiency of India's judicial administration, ensuring that transfers serve the interests of justice rather than individual preferences.
At present, judge transfers are largely decided on personal considerations, a practice the collegium says can lead to inconsistencies and perceptions of favoritism. By moving to a rule‑based system, the apex court hopes to bring greater transparency to the process.
The proposed framework will focus on measurable factors such as a judge's expertise, conduct record and the needs of individual high courts. Emphasising objective reasoning is intended to minimise bias and strengthen accountability for judicial performance.
If adopted, the policy could mark a significant step toward enhancing the integrity and efficiency of India's judicial administration, ensuring that transfers serve the interests of justice rather than individual preferences.