It refers to the act of abstaining from participation in an official action such as a legal proceeding due to a conflict of interest of the presiding court official or administrative officer.

In such case, the Supreme Court has suggested invoking Article 224-A to solve the issue. Article 224-A says, “the Chief Justice of a High Court for any State may at any time, with the previous consent of the President, request any person who has held the office of a Judge of that Court or of any other High Court to sit and act as a Judge of the High Court for that State.”

Recusal was recently in news pertaining to judges of Tripura High Court.