In a significant development, the Madras High Court on Friday banned protests in the state that aim at making personal attacks on sitting judges and directed the state police machinery to deny permission for any such events that defame or intimidate them. The court underscored a “clear legal line” between “criticising a legal conclusion and attacking an individual judge” who authors a judgment.

Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan were hearing a plea filed by a man seeking directions to the government administration and law enforcement agencies to take “preventive and punitive” action against organised public campaigns that target sitting judges.

“True judicial independence means judges must be free to decide cases based solely on the law and the facts before them. The Supreme Court of India has reiterated that an independent judiciary is a part of the basic structure of our Constitution.…