“A judge becomes honorable by his judgments and not by using red beacon..”- Supreme Court reacts to 1993 judgment of Justices Katju and DPS Chauhan

A judgment passed by Justices Katju and DPS Chauhan in 1993, when the two were judges of the Allahabad High Court, reportedly attracted the attention of Justices GS Singhvi, and Kurian Joseph while hearing a matter pertaining to use of beacon lights on official cars. The 1993 judgment had held that High Court judges have a right to the use of beacons on their official cars..The Allahabad judgment [Red Light on the cars of the Honourable Judges vs. State of UP] relates to the allegedly contumacious conduct of a traffic constable halting the cars of two High Court judges, questioning the use of the beacon on top of their cars. The High Court, exercising suo motu powers, consequently took up the matter to decide whether a High Court judge was entitled to the use of beacons..Upholding this right, the High Court held that:.“… a judge of a High Court who is a person appointed under Art. 217 of the Constitution by the President of India functions under the Constitution is a person of distinction, holding a high office of dignity and honour and the word Hon’ble is always prefixed before his name.….The matter of detaining the vehicles of the Hon’ble Judges having sitting at Lucknow Bench and interrogation by the traffic constable for using red light at the top of the vehicles, while they were proceedings to Court is serious one and should have been taken notice of immediately. Stopping of the vehicles of the Hon’ble Judges is in itself contemputuous in nature….. In the context it needs to be made clear that the vehicle of any Hon’ble Judge cannot be detained or stopped except for a procession of a dead body passing through or on electronic traffic signal otherwise on some other expediency of such a nature the route may be diverted….…….we hold that under Rule 108 of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules 1989, the Hon’ble Judges of the High Court are entitled to use of the red light at the top of their vehicles (being constitutional appointees and functionaries enjoying the position of high dignitary and distinction)….”.Reacting to this judgment, the Supreme Court bench reportedly had one observation to make, namely:.“A judge becomes honorable by his judgments and not by using red beacon at the top of his official car.”.Image taken from here.