In a democracy, no one is above the law—not even its interpreters. That is why the all-party initiative to bring an impeachment motion against Justice Yashwant Varma of the Allahabad High Court is a welcome step. It is not an assault on judicial independence but an affirmation of constitutional propriety.

Only Parliament has the authority to recommend the removal of a sitting judge of the High Courts or the Supreme Court, and when rare but serious allegations arise, it is incumbent upon elected representatives to act. Justice Varma found himself at the centre of a controversy on March 14, when a fire broke out in the outhouse of his official residence in Lutyens’ Delhi.

The fire was quickly........

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