"Live-Streaming Only Answer To Adjournment-Seeking Antics, So Society At Large Can See The Cause Of Pendency": Justice Chandrachud

The bench of Justices Chandrachud and MR Shah was considering a 2018 SLP when it was met with a request for adjournment on behalf of the petitioner. The junior counsel told the bench that the arguing counsel is indisposed, and when the bench asked her to proceed with the case, she said that she is not equipped to assist the court. When the bench asked for the AOR, the junior advocate replied that even the AOR would be unable to argue the matter immediately.

"This is what brings discredit to the court. 1000s of matters are pending. Who do we go to to say that the pendency is there because the matters are not argued?", said Justice Chandrachud.

"The lawyers misuse their juniors- juniors who are not ready, juniors who don't have briefs, juniors who don't want to argue! Then the court is helpless and its only option is to do injustice, by disposing off the matter by hearing only one side, which the Court does not want to do. So it is all a part of the game which is played to get adjournments! They play on the court's sense of justice to get adjournments!", observed the judge.

"The only answer is to live-stream cases so that the society at large can see who is taking time and why matters keep getting adjourned. Judges are here from 10:30 to 4. We have been saying since the morning that we will not adjourn any matter, and yet, adjournments are being sought repeatedly- for personal difficulty, for this reason, for that reason", commented Justice Chandrachud.

"Who is to blame for the delay in disposing of matters? Only the court? Not the advocates? It is the advocates who seek the adjournments!", agreed Justice Shah.

"And it is our experience that once a matter is put on the back-burner like this, it remains pending. The CJI is very keen that old matters, matters which have been pending for a long time, are taken up…", told Justice Chandrachud.

When the junior advocate sought time until Tuesday as a "last chance", Justice Chandrachud refused, listing it for tomorrow- Friday- which is a miscellaneous day.

"We will have it tomorrow. Bring the AOR. If the arguing counsel is not available, the AOR is responsible to argue…We also read matters every night. If we leave this for the next week, the entire exercise will have to re-done", said the judge.

On Thursday, Justice U. U. Lalit also refused to put off a 2012 matter by Pepsi Co. and disposed it off after hearing both sides-