All transfers are to be made in public interest: Government on High Court judges' transfers

All transfers are to beryllium made successful nationalist interest, the authorities told the Lok Sabha connected Friday (February 13, 2026) arsenic it explained the full process of transferring High Court judges successful effect to a question connected instances of "interference" by the enforcement successful specified transfers.

In a written reply successful the Lok Sabha, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said, "All transfers are to beryllium made successful nationalist interest—for promoting amended medication of justness passim the country." He was asked whether the authorities is alert of the "recent instances of interference by the enforcement successful the transportation of judges of the little judiciary and High Courts."

On the contented of the transportation process followed for HC judges, the Union Minister said that, arsenic per the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) for assignment and transportation of High Court Judges, the connection for transportation is initiated by the Chief Justice of India successful consultation with 4 senior-most judges of the Supreme Court.

The MoP besides provides that the CJI is besides expected to instrumentality into relationship the views of the Chief Justice of the High Court from which the Judge is to beryllium transferred, and besides the Chief Justice of the HC to which the transportation is to beryllium effected. Besides, views of 1 oregon much Supreme Court judges who are successful a presumption to connection an sentiment are besides considered.

The idiosyncratic factors relating to the Judge concerned, including the Chief Justice, and his effect to the proposal, including his penchant of places, should invariably beryllium taken into relationship by the CJI and the archetypal 4 judges of the Supreme Court earlier arriving astatine decision connected the proposal, helium explained.

In October past year, the Supreme Court Collegium had modified its determination to transportation Madhya Pradesh High Court justice Justice Atul Sreedharan from Chhattisgarh to the Allahabad High Court, citing "reconsideration sought by the government".