New Delhi: Rejecting Law Commission's recommendation for setting up of four Supreme Court regional benches, Chief Justice of India KG Balakrishnan on Saturday said he did not favour the "disintegration" of the apex court.
"I am not in favour of the disintegration of the
Supreme Court. Personally I feel the Supreme Court cannot be
in any other part of India. This is the highest court of the
land. It is in the capital city of the land," he said.
The CJI said, "It is a final court and we should
maintain the integrity of the Supreme Court.”
The Law Commission had last year suggested division of
the Supreme Court into a Constitution bench at Delhi and
regional benches in Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai.
The CJI said that there is nothing wrong in
restructuring of the Supreme Court but it cannot be
disintegrated.
Speaking at the R K Jain memorial foundation lecture
here, he said that the filing of cases in the apex court is
increasing at a phenomenal rate. There are at present over
50,000 cases pending in the apex court.
At present there are 26 judges in the Supreme Court
against the sanctioned strength of 31.
The Law Ministry had sought opinion of Attorney General G
E Vahanvati who also was not in favor of regional benches of
the apex cour.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, January 30, 2010, 19:50