Between 'My Lord' and 'Judicial Servant': The Constitutional Language of Judicial Authority

A recent disruption in the Supreme Court of India—where a litigant claimed sovereign supremacy, labeled judges as "judicial servants," and attempted to command the Bench—reopens critical inquiries into judicial authority and courtroom decorum. While popular sovereignty under "We, the People of India" vests collective constitutional authority in the citizenry, it does not confer individualized supervisory control over constitutional courts, nor can accountability sanction institutional disruption. However, the term "judicial servant" highlights a deeper, unresolved tension in Indian judicial culture. If reducing judges to personal servants improperly diminishes the dignity of judicial office, the enduring colonial lexicon of "My Lord," "Your Lordship," and "Milord" equally demands critical re-examination. Positioned between the extremes of servitude and lordship, this paper examines the constitutional language through which judicial authority, institutional respect, and republican equality ought to be articulated in modern India.