Last Updated: December 20, 2022, 07:39 AM IST
DY Chandrachud took over as the new Chief Justice of India on November 9. (ANI)
In a full court meeting in November, the CJI had said that all 13 benches will hear 10 transfer petitions pertaining to matrimonial disputes and 10 bail petitions daily
The Supreme Court of India has disposed of 6,844 cases, including 2,511 bail and transfer petitions since Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud assumed office little over a month back.
As per data released by the the Supreme Court administration on Monday, a total of 5,898 cases were filed between November 9, when the CJI assumed charge, to December 16, the last working day before the SC closed for winter vacation.
In a full court meeting in November, the CJI had decided that all 13 benches will hear 10 transfer petitions pertaining to matrimonial disputes and the same number of bail petitions daily.
“After a full court meeting, we have decided that each Bench will take up 10 transfer petitions, which are family matters, followed by 10 bail matters every day to dispose of all such matters before the winter vacation,” Justice Chandrachud had said,
Adding that bail matters needed to be given priority as they pertained to personal liberty, he had said, “those are the matters of personal liberty and we will prioritise them. All the courts will start their regular boards after hearing these 20 cases.”
There were 10 such days between November 9 and December 16 when the Supreme Court disposed of more than 300 cases, as per Hindustan Times. The top court, on an average, decided 236 cases everyday, including 90 bail and transfer petitions, under Chandrachud, who is the 50th Chief Justice of India.
The top court had said there were 3,000 pending petitions pertaining to matrimonial cases where parties are seeking transfer of cases.
The full court had said if every bench takes up 10 transfer cases every day, then 13 benches will be able to decide “130 cases per day and 650 per week. So at the end of five weeks which we have before closing before winter vacations, all transfer petitions will be over.”
Justice Chandrachud had also said he has decided to cut down the number of cases to be listed at the last moment in the supplementary list to lessen the burden on judges who are forced to see case files till late at night.
The CJI on Saturday said no case is small or big for any court in the country, be it the district judiciary, the High Court or the Supreme Court. His comments came days after Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said the Supreme Court should not be hearing “bail applications and frivolous PILs” when the pendency of cases is too high. “Trust us to be guardians of the liberties of our citizens.”
Referring to a theft case in Uttar Pradesh where a man would have spent 18 years in jail for theft of electricity, the CJI said that the SC had to intervene in “a seemingly innocuous case of a simple citizen of the nation”.
“Trust us to be guardians of the liberties of our citizens,” he had added.
Friday was the last working day of the top court before it goes on the two-week winter break. The apex court will reopen on January 2.
(With PTI inputs)
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