New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday decided to examine a plea challenging the existing roster system and powers of the Chief Justice of India to allocate cases while observing that the CJI's position as 'master of roster' cannot be “disputed”.
The apex court prime facie did not agree with contention of former Law Minister Shanti Bhushan, who has filed the PIL, that the collegium of five-senior most judges should be entrusted with the task of allocating cases and asked Attorney General K K Venugopal to assist the court in the matter.
A bench comprising justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan also took strong exception when an attempt was made to rake up the issue of the unprecedented January 12 press conference by four seniormost top court judges -- J Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, M B Lokur and Kurian Joseph -- who had accused CJI Dipak Misra of arbitrarily allocating cases.
“We are not going to go into it. We are not concerned with it for many reasons and obvious reasons. Do not say all this. Do not bring it here,” the bench told senior advocate Dushyant Dave, who was representing Bhushan.
