ലോക മാനസികാരോഗ്യ ദിനത്തിൽ ജുഡീഷ്യൽ ഉദ്യോഗസ്ഥരുടെ ക്ഷേമത്തിനായി സുപ്രീം കോടതി പ്രത്യേക സമിതി രൂപീകരിച്ചു

The Supreme Court on Saturday constituted a standing committee on judicial well-being to create a structured institutional mechanism for identifying and addressing issues affecting the professional and personal well-being of judicial officers.

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant constituted the committee, which will be chaired by sitting Supreme Court judge Justice K V Viswanathan. In a statement, the top court said the move was made under the aegis of the Supreme Court of India and coincided with World Mental Health Day.

"In a significant initiative aimed at promoting the mental and physical well-being of judicial officers across the country, Justice Surya Kant, Chief Justice of India, has constituted a standing committee on judicial well-being under the aegis of the Supreme Court of India, coinciding with World Mental Health Day," the statement said.

Besides Justice Viswanathan, the committee will include Dr Savita Malhotra, former dean, PGIMER Chandigarh, and Professor and Head, Department of Psychiatry, Rajat Mitra, psychologist, Director and Co-founder, Swanchetan Society for Mental Health, Mrinal Kanwar, advocate-on-record in the apex court, and Aarti Singh, Registrar (J), Centre for Research and Planning of the top court.

The court said the initiative marked an important step towards recognising judicial well-being as an essential part of an effective, independent and sustainable justice delivery system. It said judicial officers work under demanding conditions, often dealing with heavy caseloads, long working hours, complex decision-making, administrative pressures, and emotionally challenging and sensitive cases. "Recognising these occupational demands, the Supreme Court has established the committee to provide a structured institutional mechanism for identifying and addressing issues affecting the professional and personal well-being of judicial officers," it said.

The statement said judges' well-being was not merely a matter of individual welfare, but was closely linked to the efficiency, quality and sustainability of the administration of justice. It said the committee would function as a continuing institutional platform to review existing and emerging challenges related to judicial well-being. "Its responsibilities will include identifying areas requiring institutional intervention, facilitating coordination on welfare measures, developing appropriate guidance and periodically reviewing initiatives undertaken to support judicial officers. The objective is to move beyond isolated interventions and establish a sustained framework for promoting judicial well-being across the judicial system," the court said.

With the new committee, the Supreme Court has set up a continuing framework to examine the pressures faced by judicial officers and to coordinate measures aimed at supporting their well-being across the judicial system.

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