The Supreme Court has highlighted the importance of judicial restraint on social media, observing that judges must "live a hermit life and work like a horse" to uphold the sanctity of their roles.

The remarks were made by a bench comprising Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Justice N. Kotiswar Singh while hearing the case of two women judicial officers terminated by the Madhya Pradesh High Court.

The bench emphasised that judges should avoid social media platforms like Facebook and refrain from expressing opinions about judgements. "There is no place for flamboyance in the judiciary. Judicial officers should not go to Facebook or comment on judgements, as such actions could undermine judicial impartiality," the court observed.

The comments came after it was revealed that one of the terminated judges had posted on Facebook, a point raised by amicus curiae Gaurav Agarwal.

The court's remarks arise in the context of the termination of six women judicial officers by the Madhya Pradesh government in June 2023, citing unsatisfactory performance during their probation periods. Among them, four officers were reinstated following a review by the High Court, but two—Aditi Kumar Sharma and Sarita Chaudhary—remain excluded.

One of the terminated officers argued that her performance had been adversely affected by personal hardships, including a miscarriage and a family member's cancer diagnosis, compounded by the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. She contended that her dismissal violated her fundamental rights under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution, particularly as her maternity leave was not adequately considered during her performance evaluation.

The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognisance of the matter, issuing notices to the Madhya Pradesh High Court and relevant authorities.

Stay tuned for the developments in the story.