JAC formed to press for SC bench in south India

The first meeting of 'Forum For Supreme Court Bench in South India' asked the Chief Justice of India and the President to take positive steps to set up the bench.

"Otherwise two lakh lawyers will be compelled to abstain from courts and also to resort to an indefinite fast before the Supreme Court and Parliament," it said in a resolution.

It requested Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi "to look into the sufferings of the poor and downtrodden litigant public."

R Gandhi, elected as Chairman of Action Committee told PTI that the increasing litigation in the Supreme Court from this part of the country is about 25 per cent of the total, necessitating establishment of a Supreme Court Bench.

He said the time, distance and expense involved in approaching the Supreme Court would virtually deny the right to justice to the poor people from these states.

In a resolution, the Forum noted that for 50 years four state Assemblies had passed resolutions raising this demand. It also pointed out recommendations of Law commission which suggested the establishment of a Bench in south India.

In another resolution, it requested the authorities to take into consideration the dreams of the founding fathers of the Constitution who felt the need for setting-up of Supreme Court Benches as per Article 130 of the Constitution.