Punjab High Court

The Supreme Court of India has initiated a suo motu case against Punjab and Haryana High Court judge Rajbir Sehrawat following his critical remarks about the apex court's authority over high courts. Justice Sehrawat argued that the Supreme Court's stay on contempt proceedings before his bench undermines the independence of high courts and reflects a tendency to view itself as more 'supreme' than it constitutionally is. He asserted that the relationship between the Supreme Court and high courts is not one of subordination, highlighting that high courts hold exclusive power to initiate contempt proceedings under Article 215. His comments have raised concerns about the constitutional implications of the Supreme Court's directives on case management and judicial independence. The matter will be addressed by a five-judge bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, with a hearing scheduled for Wednesday.