SCBA requests CJI to be made part of permanent panel which deals with infra
New Delhi: The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) has written to Chief Justice DY Chandrachud requesting him for representation on the permanent committee which deals with creation of infrastructure and its utilisation by the Bar.
In a letter to the CJI, SCBA president Vikas Singh said due to lack of representation of the bar body in planning or actual creation of additional infrastructure, the requirement of the Bar is not adequately taken care of. “In fact, I can say with conviction that the accretion of space given to SCBA has not kept pace proportionality with the additional space created either due to the increase of Judges strength over a period of time or when the additional land was made available to the Supreme Court for building infrastructure.
“While the infrastructure meant for judges and registry has increased manifold, no corresponding increase in infrastructure has taken place for the facilities for SCBA members and the instances being that there is a very small/dingy lunch room for the Bar, there are not enough waiting spaces to wait for the lawyers in close proximity of the Courts with the result that the lawyers end up overcrowding the courts,” Singh said in a letter written on behalf of the SCBA.
The letter followed a recent courtroom spat between Chief Justice Chandrachud and the SCBA chief over allotment of a piece of land for constructing chambers for lawyers at Appu Ghar. The two sides later called a truce and a bench headed by the CJI heard a petition by the SCBA on the issue. The SCBA chief said overcrowding is a big problem and female members of the Bar, female litigants, women Supreme Court staff as well as members with special needs and the elderly have a harrowing experience while entering court.
“It is the need of the hour that the SCBA should be a part of the permanent Committee which deals with creation of the infrastructure and its utilisation so that our say can be taken both at the planning as well as implementation stage for ensuring that not only the needs of SCBA but also the needs of the litigants are taken care of both at the planning as well as implementation stage,” the SCBA said.
