Chief Justice is master of roster, has power to assign cases: SC
New Delhi, July 6 (IBNS): The Chief Justice of India is the master of roster and has the power to assign cases, the Supreme Court ruled on Friday after a petition called for panel of judges to take such decisions.
"The Chief Justice (CJI) has the role of first among equals and is empowered to exercise leadership in administration of the court which includes assignment of cases," said Justices AK Sikri and Ashok Bhushan was quoted as saying by NDTV.
The order on Friday confirmed the verdict by two previous benches-one in November and a three-judge bench ruling in April this year.
Former law minister Shanti Bhushan's petition noted that the "master of the roster" cannot be an "unguided and unbridled" discretionary power.
On Jan 12, four senior judges of the top court- Justices Jasti Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, Madan B Lokur and Kurian Joseph-alleged that cases with far reaching consequences were assigned to selective judges.
Justice Chelameswar, who represented the four judges in an unprecedented press conference, said they had approached the CJI Dipak Mishra with a letter but failed to convince him.
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