India

Supreme Court Forms Committee to Support Judges’ Mental and Physical Health

By HT Correspondent

Chief Justice Surya Kant has established a Supreme Court committee, headed by Justice KV Viswanathan, to address the mental and physical well‑being of judicial officers nationwide. The Standing Committee on Judicial Well‑Being, announced on World Mental Health Day, will include four additional members: Savita Malhotra, former dean and professor at PGIMER Chandigarh; Rajat Mitra, psychologist and co‑founder of the Swanchetan Society for Mental Health; advocate Mrinal Kanwar; and Aarti Singh, registrar at the Supreme Court’s Centre for Research and Planning. The committee will identify and address issues affecting judges’ professional and personal health, such as heavy caseloads, long hours, complex decision‑making, administrative pressures and emotionally challenging cases. It will also coordinate welfare measures, develop guidance, and review initiatives periodically. Earlier research by the Centre for Research and Planning on occupational stress, workload, mental and physical exhaustion, staffing shortages, infrastructure limits, administrative duties, transfers, work‑life balance and institutional support informed the committee’s creation. The initiative aligns with the Nauru Declaration on Judicial Well‑Being (July 2024) and the United Nations General Assembly’s designation of July 25 as the International Day for Judicial Well‑Being (March 2025), underscoring the link between judges’ health and effective justice delivery.