The Allahabad High Court has recommended the establishment of a legal framework to hold senior administrative officers criminally liable for the failures of their subordinates.

阿拉哈巴德高等法院建議建立一個法律框架，使高級行政官員須為下屬的失職承擔刑事責任。

The judicial impetus for this recommendation emerged from two distinct proceedings: a habeas corpus petition involving the recovery of a minor and a petition regarding the renewal of a passport. In the former instance, the court identified a systemic failure to adhere to established investigative guidelines, noting that Additional Chief Secretary Sanjay Prasad utilized the prospect of a Special Leave Petition as a mechanism to defer compliance with judicial directives. The court characterized this behavior as a calculated attempt to undermine judicial authority, subsequently referring the officer's suitability for future appointments to the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.

此建議的司法動力源於兩起不同的訴訟：一起涉及找回一名未成年人的人身保護令申請，以及一起關於續領護照的申請。在前一案例中，法院發現系統性地未能遵守既定的調查指南，並指出額外首席秘書 Sanjay Prasad 利用申請「特別許可上訴」的可能性，作為推遲執行司法指令的手段。法院將此行為定義為蓄意削弱司法權威，隨後將該名官員未來是否適合獲委任的問題，提交至內閣委任委員會。

Furthermore, the court observed a persistent institutional resistance to the relinquishment of discretionary powers, which it identified as the primary catalyst for administrative inertia and 'red-tapism.' This was evidenced by the delayed formation of a high-powered committee tasked with monitoring corruption investigations, which was only established in December 2025 following judicial intervention. Consequently, the court posited that the current lack of accountability within the civil service undermines the rule of law and legal certainty.

此外，法院觀察到制度上對於放棄酌情權存在持久的抵抗，法院認為這是導致行政遲緩與「官僚主義」的主要催化劑。證據在於一個負責監控貪污調查的高權限委員會，在司法干預後，直到 2025 年 12 月才成立。因此，法院認為目前公務員制度缺乏問責制，損害了法治與法律確定性。

To mitigate these systemic deficiencies, the court advocated for the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) to formalize a doctrine of 'superior responsibility.' Under this proposed framework, the professional obligation to ensure effective public service delivery would be elevated to criminal liability in scenarios where a senior officer's failure to prevent or penalize subordinate misconduct results in fraud, corruption, or the willful suppression of government orders. The court has directed that these concerns be brought to the personal attention of the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.

為了緩解這些系統性缺陷，法院建議人事培訓部 (DoPT) 正式確立「上級責任」原則。在該擬議框架下，確保有效提供公共服務的專業義務將提升為刑事責任，若高級官員未能防止或懲處下屬的不當行為，導致欺詐、貪污或故意壓制政府指令，則須承擔責任。法院已指示將這些關注事項親自呈交給北方邦首席部長。

The court has called for a fundamental shift in administrative accountability to ensure that senior officials are held legally responsible for departmental lapses.

法院要求行政問責制進行根本性改變，以確保高級官員須為部門的失職承擔法律責任。