Madras High Court orders police to deny permission for protests personally targeting sitting judges

The Madras High Court on 30 October 2026 directed Tamil Nadu Police to refuse permission for public gatherings or marches aimed at personally targeting, defaming or intimidating sitting judges, and to stop any permitted assembly that turns into such an attack. A division bench of Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan, ruling in Karthikeyan v Union of India, held that citizens may criticise or disagree with judgments, but coordinated abusive, defamatory or caste-based attacks on judges are not protected free speech. The court also directed the Cyber Crime Division to monitor digital platforms for criminal intimidation of judges, while rejecting a blanket ban on all discussions or gatherings about court rulings, which must be considered case by case. Source: Bar & Bench (Bar & Bench)

• The Madras High Court on 30 October 2026 directed Tamil Nadu Police to refuse permission for public gatherings or marches aimed at personally targeting, defaming or intimidating sitting judges, and to stop any permitted
• A division bench of Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan, ruling in Karthikeyan v Union of India, held that citizens may criticise or disagree with judgments, but coordinated abusive, def
• The court also directed the Cyber Crime Division to monitor digital platforms for criminal intimidation of judges, while rejecting a blanket ban on all discussions or gatherings about court rulings, which must be conside