AG Backs CJI As ‘Master of Roster’ As SC Reserves Bhushan’s Plea

Attorney General KK Venugopal said vesting case allocation with multi-member Collegium would lead to chaos.

File photo of CJI Dipak Misra.

(Photo: The Quint)

The Supreme Court on Friday, 27 April, reserved order on former Law Minister Shanti Bhushan's Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the existing roster practice of allocation of cases by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra.

The Attorney General KK Venugopal supported CJI as the Master of Roster, stating that it will help in maintaining judicial discipline. He reportedly said that if the powers were diluted, the machinery of the court would collapse.

Venugopal reportedly said vesting case allocation with multi-member Collegium would create multiple authorities and would lead to chaos.

Earlier in April, a bench comprising Justices AK Sikri and Ashok Bhushan sought the assistance of Attorney General KK Venugopal and Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta in dealing with the PIL stating that the CJI cannot exercise arbitrary power in allocation of cases.

However, the bench had then taken objection when Bhushan's counsel made an attempt to bring to its notice the unprecedented 12 January press conference held by four of the court's most senior judges – Justices J Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, MB Lokur and Kurian Joseph – who had accused Chief Justice 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. Don't say all this," the bench said.

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