Q.Does independence of the judiciary mean that the judiciary is not accountable to any one? Write your answer in not more than 100 words.

Independence of the judiciary means three things at once: the executive and legislature must not restrict how the judiciary functions, they must not interfere with its decisions once made, and judges must be free to rule without fear or favour. It does not mean judges answer to no one — the judiciary remains accountable to the Constitution, to democratic traditions, and to the people; independence is freedom from political pressure, not freedom from accountability.

The Indian Constitution builds this independence in through several concrete design choices, each blocking a different way the other two organs could otherwise squeeze the judiciary:

• The legislature is kept out of judicial appointments, so political loyalty is not the test for who becomes a judge.
• Judges hold office on a fixed tenure until retirement, removable only through a deliberately difficult procedure — this is security of tenure.
• Judicial salaries and allowances are not subject to a legislative vote, which is financial independence.
• Judges' decisions are shielded from personal attack through the power to punish contempt of court.
• A judge's conduct cannot even be discussed in Parliament, except during a formal proceeding to remove that judge.

Together, these safeguards are what let a judge rule against a powerful minister exactly as they would rule against an ordinary citizen — the entire point of having an independent judiciary in the first place.