Delhi High Court Initiates Criminal Contempt Proceedings against ADJ

ADJ Lau had filed four applications before the bench of Justice Valmiki J Mehta and Justice Indermeet Kaur stating that the “adverse remarks” made against her judgments by a single judge bench of the High Court be deleted as they affect the “self-esteem, judicial reputation and career of the applicant and also violate the norms of Judicial Propriety”.

A two-judge bench of the Delhi High Court on Friday initiated “criminal contempt” proceedings against Additional District Judge (ADJ) Dr Kamini Lau, after she filed a petition claiming that a High Court judge “is selectively and successively targeting the applicant/judicial officer”.

The HC observed, “We are indeed perturbed and upset at the language used by the applicant/judicial officer in her applications. The applicant/judicial officer has gone much further, to the shocking extent of stating in paras 7 and 8 of the application that the learned single Judge is selectively and successively targeting the applicant/judicial officer.” Justice Mehta and Justice Kaur further said, “Accordingly, we are of prima facie opinion that Dr Kamini Lau, ADJ, is guilty of criminal contempt of court, that the averments made by the applicant/judicial officer in her applications clearly amount to scandalising or tending to scandalise or lowering or tending to lower the authority of this court.