SC judges joke about dharna for foot overbridge; lawyers flag 95k pending cases
Supreme Court judges in India jokingly threatened to protest at the Delhi High Court gate if a necessary foot overbridge is not constructed. The incident highlights the irony of judicial activism regarding public infrastructure amidst a massive backlog of 95,000 pending cases.
Why it matters
It underscores the tension between the judiciary's focus on minor administrative issues and the systemic crisis of case backlogs in the Indian legal system.
NEW DELHI: In the season of dharnas and protests in Delhi, a Supreme Court bench led by Justice J B Pardiwala last week threatened in a lighter vein to sit on dharna at the Delhi HC main gate if by Nov 25 the govt failed to construct a foot overbridge and pedestrian paths to facilitate safe road crossing for lawyers, litigants and public.Justices Pardiwala and K V Viswanathan told additional solicitor general Vikramjit Banerjee - “If you don't do it before the next date, both of us will be at the main gate of the HC, and we will not go home until you complete the work. That's for sure. Baith jaayenge wahan dharna karne ke liye.”The case related to the stretch of Mathura Road near the HC and Zoological Park, where absence of a foot overbridge and pedestrian safe crossings had been flagged months ago by the SC.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in