Letters to The Editor — April 30, 2026

Recusal test

The hearing in the liquor case is an interesting instance of prejudice versus procedure (Editorial page, April 29). Although there is no law explicitly defining the recusal of a judge in a case, it lies within the judge’s discretion to recuse themselves in the interest of visible fairness and the principles of natural justice, notably nemo judex in causa sua (Latin), which means that a judge should not adjudicate a case in which there is a reasonable apprehension of bias. In Ranjit Thakur vs Union of India (1987), the Supreme Court held that the issue is not whether a judge is actually biased, but whether a party has a reasonable apprehension of bias. A significant number of precedents support this principle.