New Delhi: The Ministry of Law and Justice informed the Lok Sabha on Friday that the matter regarding setting up of regional branches of the Supreme Court is sub judice in the top court and the government has not taken any decision on it.
Union Law Minister Kiran Rijiju shared the information in reply to a question in Parliament seeking to know if the government has any plans to establish regional branches of the top court. The Ministry stated that as per Article 130, the Supreme Court shall sit in Delhi or any such place as the Chief Justice of India with the approval of the President appoint from time to time.
It cited the Law commission's 125th report titled "Supreme Court-A Fresh Look" submitted in 1988 that reiterated the recommendations made by the 10th Law Commission in its 95th report suggesting setting up a constitutional court in Delhi and a court of appeals in north, south, east, west and central India. It was suggested by the 18th Law Commission in its 229th report that a constitutional court be set up in the Northern region at Delhi, the southern region at Chennai/Hyderabad, the Eastern region at Kolkata, and the western region at Mumbai.
"The matter was referred to the Chief Justice of India who was informed that after consideration of the matter, the full court in its meeting held on 18th February 2010, found no justification for setting up of benches of the Supreme Court outside Delhi," read the reply. The ministry said that in 2016 the top court deemed it fit to refer the issue to a constitutional bench and the matter remains sub judice.
