{"id":31329,"date":"2026-09-01T07:10:43","date_gmt":"2026-09-01T07:10:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/?p=31329"},"modified":"2026-09-01T07:15:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T07:15:11","slug":"justice-ujjal-bhuyan-judicial-transparency-collegium-reform","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/justice-ujjal-bhuyan-judicial-transparency-collegium-reform\/","title":{"rendered":"Justice Bhuyan on Judicial Transparency: From Plato&#8217;s Open Trials to India&#8217;s Collegium Debate"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h1 id=\"h-justice-bhuyan-on-judicial-transparency-from-plato-s-open-trials-to-india-s-collegium-debate\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Justice_Bhuyan_on_Judicial_Transparency_From_Platos_Open_Trials_to_Indias_Collegium_Debate\"><\/span>Justice Bhuyan on Judicial Transparency: From Plato&#8217;s Open Trials to India&#8217;s Collegium Debate<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the release of the <strong>Judicial Transparency Index Report<\/strong> in Delhi on August 1, 2026, Supreme Court judge Hon\u2019ble Mr. Justice Ujjal Bhuyan took his audience from Plato&#8217;s Athens to the doors of India&#8217;s collegium. Between the two lay one consistent argument: an institution that decides for the public owes the public an account of how it decides, and nowhere is that owed more and delivered less than in how judges themselves are appointed.<\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_87 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #0c0c0c;color:#0c0c0c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #0c0c0c;color:#0c0c0c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/justice-ujjal-bhuyan-judicial-transparency-collegium-reform\/#Justice_Bhuyan_on_Judicial_Transparency_From_Platos_Open_Trials_to_Indias_Collegium_Debate\" >Justice Bhuyan on Judicial Transparency: From Plato&#8217;s Open Trials to India&#8217;s Collegium Debate<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/justice-ujjal-bhuyan-judicial-transparency-collegium-reform\/#Judicial_Transparency_Index_Report_and_Open_Justice\" >Judicial Transparency Index Report and Open Justice<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/justice-ujjal-bhuyan-judicial-transparency-collegium-reform\/#Transparency_in_Indian_Jurisprudence\" >Transparency in Indian Jurisprudence<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/justice-ujjal-bhuyan-judicial-transparency-collegium-reform\/#Open_Court_Hearings_And_The_Right_To_Know\" >Open Court Hearings And The Right To Know<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/justice-ujjal-bhuyan-judicial-transparency-collegium-reform\/#Judicial_Appointments_And_The_Transparency_Debate\" >Judicial Appointments And The Transparency Debate<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/justice-ujjal-bhuyan-judicial-transparency-collegium-reform\/#Subhash_Chandra_Agarwal_Case\" >Subhash Chandra Agarwal Case<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/justice-ujjal-bhuyan-judicial-transparency-collegium-reform\/#Justice_Bhuyan_on_Reasons_for_Collegium_Recommendations\" >Justice Bhuyan on Reasons for Collegium Recommendations<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/justice-ujjal-bhuyan-judicial-transparency-collegium-reform\/#Criticism_Of_The_Supreme_Court_Collegium_System\" >Criticism Of The Supreme Court Collegium System<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/justice-ujjal-bhuyan-judicial-transparency-collegium-reform\/#Proposed_Reforms_for_Judicial_Transparency\" >Proposed Reforms for Judicial Transparency<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/justice-ujjal-bhuyan-judicial-transparency-collegium-reform\/#One_Principle_Behind_The_Proposed_Reforms\" >One Principle Behind The Proposed Reforms<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/justice-ujjal-bhuyan-judicial-transparency-collegium-reform\/#Key_Takeaways_Justice_Bhuyan_on_Judicial_Transparency\" >Key Takeaways: Justice Bhuyan on Judicial Transparency<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/justice-ujjal-bhuyan-judicial-transparency-collegium-reform\/#Judicial_Transparency_and_Public_Trust\" >Judicial Transparency and Public Trust<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/justice-ujjal-bhuyan-judicial-transparency-collegium-reform\/#Historical_Roots_of_Open_Justice\" >Historical Roots of Open Justice<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/justice-ujjal-bhuyan-judicial-transparency-collegium-reform\/#Open_Courts_as_an_Indian_Legal_Principle\" >Open Courts as an Indian Legal Principle<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/justice-ujjal-bhuyan-judicial-transparency-collegium-reform\/#Right_to_Know_and_Article_191a\" >Right to Know and Article 19(1)(a)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/justice-ujjal-bhuyan-judicial-transparency-collegium-reform\/#Judicial_Appointments_and_Transparency\" >Judicial Appointments and Transparency<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/justice-ujjal-bhuyan-judicial-transparency-collegium-reform\/#Why_Reasons_for_Collegium_Recommendations_Matter\" >Why Reasons for Collegium Recommendations Matter<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/justice-ujjal-bhuyan-judicial-transparency-collegium-reform\/#Transparency_and_Judicial_Independence\" >Transparency and Judicial Independence<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/justice-ujjal-bhuyan-judicial-transparency-collegium-reform\/#Privacy_and_Judicial_Transparency\" >Privacy and Judicial Transparency<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/justice-ujjal-bhuyan-judicial-transparency-collegium-reform\/#Reasoned_Appointments_and_Judicial_Standards\" >Reasoned Appointments and Judicial Standards<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-21\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/justice-ujjal-bhuyan-judicial-transparency-collegium-reform\/#Uniform_Transparency_Standards_Across_High_Courts\" >Uniform Transparency Standards Across High Courts<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-22\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/justice-ujjal-bhuyan-judicial-transparency-collegium-reform\/#Cooling-Off_Periods_After_Judicial_Retirement\" >Cooling-Off Periods After Judicial Retirement<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-judicial-transparency-index-report-and-open-justice\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Judicial_Transparency_Index_Report_and_Open_Justice\"><\/span>Judicial Transparency Index Report and Open Justice<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The report, jointly brought out by the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy and JALDI (Justice, Access, and Lowering Delays in India), assesses how much information the Supreme Court and High Courts actually disclose to the public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Justice Bhuyan began philosophically, tracing the idea of open justice back to Plato, who argued that citizens must be allowed to attend trials, and to Jeremy Bentham, who saw the publicity of judgments as a precondition of the common law tradition itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Every legal system that claims to dispense justice, he said, must also be answerable for how it does so. Public spaces of adjudication, in his words, have to remain wide open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-transparency-in-indian-jurisprudence\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Transparency_in_Indian_Jurisprudence\"><\/span>Transparency in Indian Jurisprudence<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Justice Bhuyan was careful to note that transparency is not some imported, modern virtue; it is embedded in Indian jurisprudence itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He pointed to Section 153B of the CPC and analogous provisions in the CrPC (Section 327(1) of the CrPC), which mandate open court hearings in civil and criminal matters, respectively, allowing a judge to restrict access only for good and sufficient reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-open-court-hearings-and-the-right-to-know\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Open_Court_Hearings_And_The_Right_To_Know\"><\/span>Open Court Hearings And The Right To Know<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He also invoked the 1966 case of Naresh Sridhar Mirajkar, where a witness&#8217;s request to keep his evidence from being published was challenged before the Bombay High Court and later the Supreme Court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Court&#8217;s observation, then, that all cases, whether civil, criminal, or constitutional, must ordinarily be heard in open court, with in-camera proceedings as the exception, not the rule, remains the guiding principle even today, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The right to know, he added, is itself a facet of Article 19(1)(a).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Issue<\/th><th>Principle Highlighted By Justice Bhuyan<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Open Justice<\/td><td>Public spaces of adjudication have to remain wide open.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Open Court Hearings<\/td><td>Open court hearings are the ordinary rule, while in-camera proceedings are the exception.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Right To Know<\/td><td>The right to know is itself a facet of Article 19(1)(a).<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Judicial Transparency<\/td><td>An institution that decides for the public owes the public an account of how it decides.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-judicial-appointments-and-the-transparency-debate\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Judicial_Appointments_And_The_Transparency_Debate\"><\/span>Judicial Appointments And The Transparency Debate<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The address turned candid and stayed there longest on judicial appointments, which Justice Bhuyan called perhaps the most complex facet of transparency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He invoked the <strong>Subhash Chandra Agarwal<\/strong> case, where the Central Information Commission had directed the Supreme Court to disclose correspondence between the collegium and government over the appointment of three judges (Justices HL Dattu, AK Ganguly, and RM Lodha) elevated ahead of more senior colleagues (Justices AP Shah, AK Patnaik, and VK Gupta).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-subhash-chandra-agarwal-case\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Subhash_Chandra_Agarwal_Case\"><\/span>Subhash Chandra Agarwal Case<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Constitution Bench&#8217;s 2019 verdict held that judicial independence and transparency are not in conflict but left what gets disclosed to be decided case by case, weighing interests such as privacy each time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That unresolved discretion, Justice Bhuyan suggested, is why collegium resolutions still go unexplained: in three recent appointments, he noted, no reasoning had accompanied the recommendations at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-justice-bhuyan-on-reasons-for-collegium-recommendations\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Justice_Bhuyan_on_Reasons_for_Collegium_Recommendations\"><\/span>Justice Bhuyan on Reasons for Collegium Recommendations<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He remarked,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;I have noticed that the last three collegium resolutions of the Supreme Court, including the latest one in 2025, do not contain any reasons at all for recommending elevations. This is in contrast to the earlier resolutions, where every recommendation was supported by some reasons. They may not have been exhaustive. Some may even say they were somewhat formulaic or copy-paste in nature. But at least some reasons were given to justify the recommendations.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-criticism-of-the-supreme-court-collegium-system\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Criticism_Of_The_Supreme_Court_Collegium_System\"><\/span>Criticism Of The Supreme Court Collegium System<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Justice Bhuyan criticized the opaqueness of the Supreme Court Collegium system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;By not giving reasons, you are actually doing a disservice to judges who have done tremendous work. By not doing this, we are allowing some kinds of people who come inside the judiciary who will later go on to describe a group of people as &#8216;ants&#8217; and this and that. It&#8217;s completely unconstitutional. To prevent entry of such people, there should be some discussion; there should be some reasons given. What harm is caused by discussion in public?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He made these remarks in reference to a comment made by the then sitting judge of the Allahabad High Court, Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav, at an event organized by the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) legal cell in Prayagraj.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-proposed-reforms-for-judicial-transparency\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Proposed_Reforms_for_Judicial_Transparency\"><\/span>Proposed Reforms for Judicial Transparency<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He closed on a note that tied the evening together: cooling-off periods after retirement, recorded reasons for both elevating and not elevating candidates, and uniform standards across High Courts, since the right to information is, after all, a pan-India fundamental right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Cooling-off periods after retirement.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Recorded reasons for elevating candidates.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Recorded reasons for not elevating candidates.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Uniform standards across high courts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-one-principle-behind-the-proposed-reforms\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"One_Principle_Behind_The_Proposed_Reforms\"><\/span>One Principle Behind The Proposed Reforms<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These are not competing reforms but different expressions of the same principle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An institution that decides for the public, he seemed to be saying, owes the public an account of how it makes its decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>End Notes:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>https:\/\/jaldi-vidhilegalpolicy.in\/overview-projects\/capacity-performance\/report?id=377&amp;title=The-Judicial-Transparency-Index:-Assessing-disclosure-of-information-by-the-Supreme-Court-and-the-High-Courts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>https:\/\/indiankanoon.org\/doc\/1218090\/<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>https:\/\/www.scobserver.in\/cases\/central-public-information-officer-supreme-court-subash-chandra-agarwal-rti-and-judicial-independence-background\/<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>https:\/\/www.indiacode.nic.in\/show-data?actid=AC_CEN_3_20_00051_190805_1523340333624&amp;sectionId=33498&amp;sectionno=153B&amp;orderno=166<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>https:\/\/devgan.in\/crpc\/section\/327\/<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Key_Takeaways_Justice_Bhuyan_on_Judicial_Transparency\"><\/span>Key Takeaways: Justice Bhuyan on Judicial Transparency<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Key Issue<\/th><th>Key Takeaway<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Judicial Transparency<\/td><td>Judicial transparency is essential to public trust: Justice Ujjal Bhuyan emphasized that institutions exercising public power should explain how important decisions are made.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Open Justice<\/td><td>Open justice has deep historical roots: the principle of open trials can be traced from Plato&#8217;s Athens to Jeremy Bentham&#8217;s emphasis on public judgments and accountability.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Open Courts in India<\/td><td>Open courts are an established Indian legal principle: Section 153B of the CPC and Section 327(1) of the CrPC support the principle that court proceedings should ordinarily remain open to the public.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Right to Know<\/td><td>The right to know is linked to Article 19(1)(a): Justice Bhuyan highlighted the connection between judicial transparency and the constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Judicial Appointments<\/td><td>Judicial appointments remain a major transparency challenge: The Supreme Court Collegium system was identified as one of the most complex areas where greater transparency is required.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Collegium Recommendations<\/td><td>Reasons for collegium recommendations matter: Justice Bhuyan questioned the absence of reasons in recent collegium resolutions and stressed that reasoned decisions can strengthen accountability.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Judicial Independence<\/td><td>Transparency and judicial independence can coexist: The discussion surrounding the Subhash Chandra Agarwal case demonstrates that judicial independence and transparency need not necessarily be competing principles.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Privacy and Transparency<\/td><td>Privacy must be balanced with transparency: Disclosure in judicial matters may require a case-by-case assessment where privacy and other legitimate interests are involved.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Reasoned Judicial Appointments<\/td><td>Reasoned appointments can protect judicial standards: Recording reasons for both elevating and not elevating candidates could make the judicial appointment process more accountable.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Uniform Transparency Standards<\/td><td>Uniform transparency standards are important: Justice Bhuyan advocated consistent standards across High Courts because the right to information is a pan-India fundamental right.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Cooling-Off Periods<\/td><td>Cooling-off periods are part of the proposed reforms: Restrictions after judicial retirement were also identified as an important transparency-related reform.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Judicial_Transparency_and_Public_Trust\"><\/span>Judicial Transparency and Public Trust<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Judicial transparency is essential to public trust: Justice Ujjal Bhuyan emphasized that institutions exercising public power should explain how important decisions are made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Historical_Roots_of_Open_Justice\"><\/span>Historical Roots of Open Justice<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Open justice has deep historical roots: the principle of open trials can be traced from Plato&#8217;s Athens to Jeremy Bentham&#8217;s emphasis on public judgments and accountability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Open_Courts_as_an_Indian_Legal_Principle\"><\/span>Open Courts as an Indian Legal Principle<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Open courts are an established Indian legal principle: Section 153B of the CPC and Section 327(1) of the CrPC support the principle that court proceedings should ordinarily remain open to the public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Right_to_Know_and_Article_191a\"><\/span>Right to Know and Article 19(1)(a)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The right to know is linked to Article 19(1)(a): Justice Bhuyan highlighted the connection between judicial transparency and the constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Judicial_Appointments_and_Transparency\"><\/span>Judicial Appointments and Transparency<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Judicial appointments remain a major transparency challenge: The Supreme Court Collegium system was identified as one of the most complex areas where greater transparency is required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_Reasons_for_Collegium_Recommendations_Matter\"><\/span>Why Reasons for Collegium Recommendations Matter<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Reasons for collegium recommendations matter: Justice Bhuyan questioned the absence of reasons in recent collegium resolutions and stressed that reasoned decisions can strengthen accountability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Transparency_and_Judicial_Independence\"><\/span>Transparency and Judicial Independence<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Transparency and judicial independence can coexist: The discussion surrounding the Subhash Chandra Agarwal case demonstrates that judicial independence and transparency need not necessarily be competing principles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Privacy_and_Judicial_Transparency\"><\/span>Privacy and Judicial Transparency<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Privacy must be balanced with transparency: Disclosure in judicial matters may require a case-by-case assessment where privacy and other legitimate interests are involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Reasoned_Appointments_and_Judicial_Standards\"><\/span>Reasoned Appointments and Judicial Standards<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Reasoned appointments can protect judicial standards: Recording reasons for both elevating and not elevating candidates could make the judicial appointment process more accountable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Uniform_Transparency_Standards_Across_High_Courts\"><\/span>Uniform Transparency Standards Across High Courts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Uniform transparency standards are important: Justice Bhuyan advocated consistent standards across High Courts because the right to information is a pan-India fundamental right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Cooling-Off_Periods_After_Judicial_Retirement\"><\/span>Cooling-Off Periods After Judicial Retirement<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cooling-off periods are part of the proposed reforms: Restrictions after judicial retirement were also identified as an important transparency-related reform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-related-links yoast-seo-related-links\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/from-collegium-to-commission-learning-from-the-uk-and-us-models-of-judicial-appointments\/\">From Collegium to Commission: Learning from the UK and US Models of Judicial Appointments<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/collegium-system-for-appointment-of-judges-is-against-equality\/\">Collegium System For Appointment Of Judges Is Against Equality<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/judicial-appointment-reform-india-collegium-ijmis\/\">Reforming India\u2019s Collegium System: A New Model for Judicial Appointments<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/doctrine-of-separation-of-powers\/\">Doctrine Of Separation Of Powers<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/justice-sandeep-mehta-cji-surya-kant-rajasthan-hc-acting-cj-sp-sharma\/\">Justice Sandeep Mehta Urges CJI Surya Kant to Replace Rajasthan HC Acting CJ S.P. Sharma<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Justice Bhuyan on Judicial Transparency: From Plato&#8217;s Open Trials to India&#8217;s Collegium Debate At the release of the Judicial Transparency Index Report in Delhi on August 1, 2026, Supreme Court judge Hon\u2019ble Mr. Justice Ujjal Bhuyan took his audience from Plato&#8217;s Athens to the doors of India&#8217;s collegium. Between the two lay one consistent argument:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1460,"featured_media":31328,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"two_page_speed":[],"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[5602],"tags":[5483,28],"class_list":["post-31329","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-judiciary","tag-judiciary","tag-top-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.2 (Yoast SEO v28.3) - 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