Miserable or Misunderstood? A Closer Look at the Judge’s Life in India

This Saturday morning, we witnessed the All India Judges’ Badminton Championship kick off in Delhi. The event was inaugurated by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant. There were nearly 80 judges from the Supreme Court and various High Courts across the country. The championship was a 2-day event featuring men’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s singles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles.

But what caught the eye of many was a statement—a statement made by CJI Kant. He said-

“I recollect that when I was a young judge, one judge of brother judges was transferred to a different High Court. Whenever he came to Chandigarh, on a lighter side, we would ask him, ‘Brother, how are you?’ The only answer he would give is, ‘Hum judge logo ki life bohot miserable hai (We judges have a very miserable life)’. Actually, it is really miserable. The kind of work day and night we do. And, therefore, sports are an extremely important event which is part of our lives.” 

So does the word “miserable” fit in here? Is it apt or exaggerated?

Let’s find out what a judge’s life is like in India!

Becoming a judge in India is not a piece of cake. It is a path paved with intellectual challenges and unwavering responsibility to uphold the law on which the country runs. No doubt, the profession is prestigious, but it is followed by intense scrutiny, social isolation and pressure of making life-altering decisions.  Ultimately, their judgment holds the power to change someone’s entire life. And those decisions will also shape the legal recourse in India for future judgments. Thus, impartiality and integrity to make just and best possible decisions demand a lot of sacrifice.

Key Difficulties Faced by Indian Judges

1. Case overload and backlog– This is one of the most concerning issues since there are millions of cases pending in our country and judges are expected to handle a high volume of cases every day without losing their stoicism, leading to long hours of work, stress and less time for personal life.
2. Social Isolation– Being a judge, one has to avoid any perception of bias, due to which there is self-imposed or required isolation, causing a sense of detachment and loneliness. You will rarely see Judges in social circles or gatherings for this reason.
3. Security concerns– Some cases are sensitive, controversial and high stakes, and judges face threats to their safety, requiring constant safety measures, adding to already existing high stress.
4. Infrastructure Shortage– Even today, many courts in India, especially rural areas, lack proper infrastructure, updated technology and well-trained staff. This makes a judge forced to also take care of non-judicial tasks, which is not exactly their duty.
5. Need for continuous learning- There is constant evolution with new laws, amendments, judicial precedents and as a judge, you have to put in a significant amount of time to stay updated with them to avoid wrong decisions.
6. After-hours work- it is easy to say that judges have their job from 10 am to 5 pm, but if we dig deeper, their work hours even extend up to 14-15 hours per day, and yes, weekends included! They can’t go back home and sit and rest. They have to spend time reading and preparing for the cases that will be heard the next day.

Despite all the hardships, respect is not really guaranteed. It’s a really good thing that our country is demanding more and more judicial accountability, but there is a thin line between criticism and contempt, which often gets ignored in the rush of emotions. Judges can make wrong statements and wrong decisions at times, but as responsible citizens, we must understand that judges are also humans. We have full rights to criticise their judgements, ask them for fair and reasonable correction, but all in an ethical way. The criticism should not turn into contempt real quick.

What Can Be Done to Make the Lives of Judges Easier?

We can make efforts to focus on administrative and technological improvements, increasing the number of judges to reduce the workload, and providing stress management tools such as mindful training, which will improve the mental and overall well-being of judges. Most importantly, we must promote a healthy work-life balance since the work on the table is often emotionally demanding.

The first step to bring in massive change is to start inculcating a culture of respect. There should be politeness and respect to create a more positive and productive atmosphere for our judiciary to function.

So, Is a Judge’s Life Truly “Miserable”?

At the end, whether the word “miserable” fits in or not depends on how closely we choose to look at the lives behind the bench. Maybe it’s an honest glimpse of the world that mostly goes ignored behind the robes. But the good part is that it doesn’t need to stay that way! With better support, healthier expectations and a respectful public attitude, we can make the work easier for judges.

As Aristotle rightly said-

“To go to a judge is to go to justice, for the ideal judge is, so to speak, justice personified.”