# CJI defends judicial complaint mechanism, says reform must be rule

2026-09-14T15:51:58+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 4 independent outlets

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Monday defended the existing mechanism for handling complaints against judges as "timely and robust", while acknowledging that institutions must remain open to reform. Speaking at the 6th Ram Jethmalani Memorial Lecture in New Delhi, the CJI questioned whether every complaint against judges should be made public on a website, arguing that an internal mechanism already exists. Senior advocates Mahesh Jethmalani and Harish Salve raised concerns about judicial accountability, with Jethmalani citing an India Today-CVoter survey in which 48% of respondents said they had no trust in the judiciary. Jethmalani called for a database of complaints against judges and warned against "fixer lawyers" who facilitate bribery. Salve questioned the handling of the Justice Yashwant Varma cash controversy and argued for a broader rethink of the collegium system. The CJI said the judiciary earns trust through procedural fairness, not by delivering outcomes the public wants.

## Indian Opinion Analysis

India Today and Times Now highlighted the CJI's defence of the complaint mechanism, framing his remarks as a confident endorsement of existing systems. The Hindu led with the CJI's admission that institutions cannot shield themselves from scrutiny, emphasising his call for transparency. Bar and Bench focused on Mahesh Jethmalani's allegations of "fixer lawyers" and corruption in bar councils, details other outlets played down. The CJI's balanced position, defending internal processes while accepting reform, is the story's centre, but the key difference is what each outlet chose as the lede: system defence versus self-criticism. The coming days will show whether the CJI's assurances satisfy critics or prompt further debate on judicial transparency.

## Coverage

- indiatoday.in (neutral report) <https://www.indiatoday.in/india/law-news/story/cji-surya-kant-defends-judges-complaints-mechanism-amid-reform-debate-jethmalani-lecture-harish-salve-2994498-2026-09-14?utm_source=rss>
  Leads with CJI defending complaint mechanism, includes Jethmalani criticism but no editorial slant
- barandbench.com (neutral report) <https://www.barandbench.com/news/fixer-lawyers-facilitating-bribery-of-judges-intelligence-agencies-should-pass-details-to-collegium-mahesh-jethmalani>
  Focuses on Jethmalani's allegations against fixer lawyers and bar councils, straight reporting
- thehindu.com (neutral report) <https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/cji-says-judiciary-can-not-earn-public-trust-by-shielding-itself-from-scrutiny/article71466330.ece>
  Leads with CJI's openness to scrutiny and transparency, quotes his remarks on public trust
- timesnownews.com (neutral report) <https://www.timesnownews.com/india/cji-surya-kant-says-mechanism-to-deal-with-complaints-against-judges-robust-but-reform-must-be-the-rule-article-156157506>
  Leads with CJI calling mechanism robust, includes his remarks on reform, no slant

Tags: Collegium, Harish Salve, Justice Yashwant Varma, Mahesh Jethmalani, Supreme Court, Surya Kant
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