Now, SC seeks Centre's stand on developing a 'Judicial Vista'

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday said it wanted to know the stand of the Central government on the plea seeking the development of a "judicial vista" near the apex court premises to cater to the growing need of the judiciary and the bar in the national capital.

A bench comprising justices Vineet Saran and J K Maheswari referred to the haphazard construction to cater to the growing need of the judiciary and asked whether judicial vista on the lines of central vista can be thought of.

Central Vista redevelopment project is the ongoing construction work to revamp Parliament, central government's offices, and other key buildings in New Delhi's Lutyens zone.

We are not asking or making any direction that you do this or you do that. But, we just want to know the stand of the government. Let the Solicitor be here tomorrow, said the bench.

On March 8, the bench had sought responses of the Centre and the Registry of the top court on the PIL filed by bar leader Ardhendumauli Kumar Prasad seeking the development of a "judicial vista" near the apex court premises to cater to the growing need of judicial infrastructure for all the courts including the subordinate judiciary, tribunals, the Delhi High Court and the bar in the national capital.

The PIL has also sought a direction to the Union Ministries of Law and Justice and the Housing and Urban Affairs to constitute a central authority, funded by the Consolidated Fund of India, to cater to the need for judicial infrastructure under the administrative control of the Chief Justice of India (CJI).

"The lack of judicial infrastructure, that is courtrooms, basic amenities, etc. for Judges, advocates, and the litigants across the country, in the subordinate Judiciary and tribunals, is a very serious issue, and the lack of autonomy of the Judiciary in the matter, and the dependence on the Central Government and the State Government, defeats the cause of judicial independence," the plea said.

The judicial infrastructural independence is "quintessential for the furtherance of the cause of judicial independence", and hence the need to set up a National Judicial Infrastructure Authority, and falls within the most basic fundamental rights of the constitution, it said.