The Supreme Court of India has constituted a Standing Committee on Judicial Well-being to address occupational stress, workload and mental and physical well-being of judicial officers across the country, coinciding with World Mental Health Day on October 10.
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has constituted the Committee under the aegis of the Supreme Court, with Justice K.V. Viswanathan, Judge of the Supreme Court, as its Chairperson.
The Committee comprises Dr. Savita Malhotra, former Dean of PGIMER, Chandigarh, and Professor and Head of its Department of Psychiatry; Rajat Mitra, psychologist and Director and Co-founder of the Swanchetan Society for Mental Health; Mrinal Kanwar, Advocate-on-Record at the Supreme Court; and Aarti Singh, Registrar (J), Centre for Research and Planning, Supreme Court of India.
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The initiative recognises that judicial officers work under demanding conditions involving heavy caseloads, prolonged working hours, complex decision-making, administrative pressures and emotionally challenging cases. The Supreme Court has stated that judicial well-being is closely linked to the efficiency, quality and sustainability of the administration of justice.
The Committee’s constitution follows research undertaken by the Supreme Court’s Centre for Research and Planning on the well-being of district judiciary officers. The research examines occupational stress, workload, mental and physical exhaustion, staffing shortages, infrastructural limitations, administrative responsibilities, transfers, work-life balance and access to institutional support.
The Standing Committee will identify areas requiring institutional intervention, facilitate coordination on welfare measures, develop appropriate guidance and periodically review initiatives supporting judicial officers. Its mandate is intended to establish a sustained institutional framework rather than rely on isolated interventions.
The initiative also draws upon the Nauru Declaration on Judicial Well-being, adopted on July 25, 2024, and the United Nations General Assembly’s proclamation of July 25 as the International Day for Judicial Well-being.
The Supreme Court stated that the initiative seeks to foster a healthier and more supportive working environment for judicial officers, recognising their well-being as integral to an effective and sustainable justice delivery system.