Supreme Court wraps up 6,844 cases since 9 November

Since Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud took over as the new Chief Justice of India (CJI) the supreme court has wrapped up 6,844 cases.

Meanwhile, between 9 November and 16 December as many as 5,898 cases were filed on the last working day before the Supreme Court closed for winter vacation.

According to data released by the Supreme Court administration, over 29 working days, 6,844 cases were disposed of which 2,511 cases were bail and transfer petitions, involving matters of personal liberty and family disputes.

Under the leadership of the new CJI on average, the top court decided 236 cases every day of which 90 cases were bail and transfer petitions.

Earlier on 17 November CJI emphasized on quick disposal of bail and transfer petitions and said, “After 10 transfer petitions, all the benches shall hear 10 bail matters every day… those are the matters of personal liberty and we will prioritize them. All the courts will start their regular boards after hearing these 20 cases.”

Moreover, for taking up small cases a statement was made after which a top court bench led by the CJI said no case is small for the highest court.

The CJI-led bench said on 16 December, It is in the seemingly small and routine matters involving grievances of citizens that issues of the moment, both in jurisprudential and constitutional terms, emerge…The right to personal liberty is a precious and inalienable right recognized by the Constitution. In attending to such grievances, the Supreme Court performs a plain constitutional duty, obligation, and function; no more and no less.”

Earlier on Wednesday Union law minister Kiren Rijiju in Parliament remarked, “If the Supreme Court starts hearing bail applications or frivolous PILs (public interest litigations), it will cause lots of extra burdens… More than 4 crores (40 million) of cases are pending in trial courts where the government has a stake. We give money, and support to create better infrastructure. But we have to ask the judiciary to ensure that only deserving people are given justice.”

Responding to Union Minister Rijiju’s remarks CJI said, “If the Supreme Court were not to interfere in the matters of personal liberty, what are we here for? We are here to answer the call of conscience and the cry for the liberty of the citizens.”