Machinery of justice not a facility to settle scores between parties: SC
22/08/2026
NEW DELHI, Aug 21: The Supreme Court on Friday deprecated the conduct of an advocate and his former client for wasting more than 11 years of the judiciary just for the sake of their reputation, saying the machinery of justice is not a facility placed at the disposal of parties to settle scores.
A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta said that both parties suppressed materials and did not approach the court with clean hands.
"Each of these parties has come to us complaining of a wrong, and each has been the author of a good part of it. Between them, they have occupied the time of the Bar Council of India, a high court and this court for 11 years. That time belonged to other litigants, waiting for reliefs they genuinely need. We record our strong disapproval of the conduct of both," the bench said.
In this case, a woman claimed that in 2013, following an altercation with her brother, she visited the Malad Police Station and there came into contact with a senior police official.
She alleged that the official, under the guise of assisting her, kept in contact with her and thereafter attempted to sexually assault her.
The woman claimed that on this account she approached the advocate and, in the course of that engagement, shared with him confidential details of her personal life and material in her possession bearing on the allegations.
Accusing the advocate of professional misconduct, she complained that he disclosed confidential client information to the media and issued a public notice without consent. The woman made a complaint to the Bar Council of India (BCI), which initiated a disciplinary proceeding against the lawyer.
The Disciplinary Committee found the advocate guilty of professional misconduct and suspended his licence for two years. The advocate was directed to pay Rs 3 lakh to the complainant and Rs 2 lakh to the BCI.
The order of the Disciplinary Committee was challenged before the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court by both the parties.
The top court, in its order, imposed costs of Rs 5,00,000 on both to be deposited with the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee within four weeks from Friday.
"The machinery of justice is not a facility placed at the disposal of parties to settle scores, to salvage reputations they have themselves imperilled, or to extract advantage from a controversy of their own making," the bench said.
"It is sometimes said that in a trial the parties already know the truth, and that it is the judge who is on trial. The observation is a sobering one, and the present case illustrates why," the bench said.
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