The Supreme Court on Thursday said that workload on it is “excessive” and inflow of cases before it is “uncontrolled” and asked the Bar to suggest measures for speedy disposal of cases.
“Load of work, which is flowing in the highest judiciary, is uncontrolled and excessive. We are not finding ways and means to deal with the situation,” a five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice R.M. Lodha said.
The CJI also expressed displeasure over the way in which lawyers bodies recently reacted to his proposal for courts working round the year.
“Without comprehending and discussing the issue, reactions are coming against the proposal,” he said.
He asked senior lawyers to hold consultations among themselves and come out with suggestions to deal with the increasing workload.
“You (senior lawyers) are senior people. You should sit together and suggest to us. I really want a solution. Help us in finding solution,” the bench said.
Justice Lodha said he had recently interacted with 12 Chief Justices of other countries and none of their Supreme Courts handles such a large number of cases.
In some Supreme Courts, only 150 appeals are heard in a year and the CJs were astonished when I told them that on Monday and Friday, we deal with at least 800-900 cases,” he said.
The court was hearing a bunch of petitions filed by death convicts seeking commutation of their sentence to life imprisonment.
The bench also said matters pertaining to death sentence will be heard by not less than a three-judge bench.
