The Supreme Court Today (August 12th) rejected a public interest litigation (PIL) petition highlighting the delays by High Courts in deciding election petitions. A Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said that the fault is not with High Courts since they are overburdened with work and there is shortage of judges.
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NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) petition that raised concerns about delays by High Courts in deciding election petitions.
The Bench, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud and including Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, emphasized that the issue does not lie with the High Courts themselves but rather with the overwhelming workload and a shortage of judges.
CJI Chandrachud remarked,
“Get some more judges appointed to the High Court. You know the burden on High Court judges. They are hearing Section 482 plea, transfers, civil matters etc. Sorry.”
This response highlights the judiciary’s acknowledgment of the strain faced by High Court judges in managing an extensive docket of cases.
Senior Advocate Dama Seshadri Naidu, representing the petitioner, argued that the matter was similar to another pending case before the Supreme Court, filed by BJP leader Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay.
Despite this argument, the Supreme Court refused to entertain the plea and ultimately dismissed the case.
Election petitions are crucial legal instruments, filed directly before High Courts, to challenge the election of candidates to parliament or State assemblies. These petitions are vital to the democratic process, as they can significantly influence whether a government maintains its support in the legislative body.
However, the issue at the heart of the PIL is the frequent delays in resolving these petitions, which sometimes results in decisions being rendered only after the government’s tenure has ended, thereby rendering the petitions ineffective.
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