The Supreme Court said on Friday that judges should not behave like “emperors” and summon government officials “at the drop of a hat”.

The Supreme Court said there would be a “reaction” if judges cross the line of separation of powers between the judiciary and the executive to call officers to court “unnecessarily”. The apex court prescribed modesty and humility.

“A practice has developed in certain High Courts to call officers at the drop of a hat and to exert direct or indirect pressure. The line of separation of powers between judiciary and executive is sought to be crossed by summoning the officers and in a way pressurising them to pass an order as per the whims and fancies of the court,” a Bench of Justices S.K. Kaul and Hemant Gupta observed in a judgment pronounced on Friday.