CJI gets down to business, rules out urgent hearings till parameters fixed

New Delhi: Justice Ranjan Gogoi, who took over as the Chief Justice of India on Wednesday, came out with a new roster allocating cases to various benches, and decided that the Public Interest Litigation matters would be heard by him and a bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur, who is next in seniority to him.

After the swearing-in at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Justice Gogoi came back to the Supreme Court and presided over the bench along with Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph in Court number 1, the CJI's court.

The new CJI began the day by telling lawyers that new parameters would be worked out for mentioning the matters for hearing of cases which require hearing on priority and urgent mentioning.

Justice Gogoi, who took oath as the 46th CJI, said "no urgent mentioning of cases will be allowed" till specific parameters are fixed for it.

"We will work out the parameters, then we will see as to how mentioning will be done," he said.

"If somebody is going to be hanged tomorrow, then we can understand (urgency)", the CJI added.

The Supreme Court website showed the roster of the work for new cases notified under the order of the Chief Justice of India with effect from October 3 till further orders. The CJI has decided to keep with himself the PIL and the petitions based on the letters received.

Justice Gogoi has also kept with himself matters concerning arbitration, habeas corpus, criminal cases, contempt of court and ordinary civil matters.

His bench will also deal with the issues relating to the appointment of Constitutional functionaries, statutory appointments and appointment of other law officers.

Justice Gogoi has also allocated the PIL and letter-based matters to the bench headed by Justice Lokur whose bench will also be seized of cases of land acquisition and requisition and service.

Justice Kurian Joseph, who is third in seniority will have matters relating to labour, rent, service, family and criminal cases.

Justice A K Sikri, the fourth senior most judge, will also share the matters relating to contempt of court and his bench will deal with tax matters -both direct and indirect and even the election petitions.

Indirect tax matters have also been allocated to the Justice S A Bobde, the fifth senior most judge and the new entrant to the five-member apex court collegium.