In a recent courtroom exchange, Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud expressed visible irritation when a lawyer persistently requested an early hearing for a politically sensitive case involving the disqualification of Shiv Sena MLAs. The Chief Justice suggested, half-jokingly, that the lawyer should experience a day on the bench to understand the pressures faced by the judiciary.
During the proceedings, which involved setting hearing dates for disputes related to the Maharashtra political crisis, Justice Chandrachud, flanked by Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, addressed the demands for expedited hearings. The legal battles in question include challenges from the Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena and the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP, both contesting decisions made by Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar regarding the “real” representatives of their respective parties.
As the court scheduled responses and future hearing dates, a lawyer representing the Uddhav Thackeray faction insisted on an earlier date, citing the upcoming Maharashtra assembly polls. The lawyerโs insistence on speeding up the court’s timeline led to Chief Justice Chandrachud’s remark.
“Please do not dictate the court,” Justice Chandrachud admonished. He continued, highlighting the workload pressures, “Why don’t you come and sit here just for one day and tell the court master as to what dates you want. Ultimately you see this is too much. You see the kind of pressure of work on the court’s โฆ, please come and sit here. Sit for a day. I assure you that you will run for your life!”
This incident underscores the ongoing tension between the judiciary’s capacity to handle its vast caseload and the political imperatives that often seek to rush judicial deliberations. The Maharashtra political crisis has been a contentious issue with significant implications, leading to repeated and urgent pleas from the involved parties for quick resolutions.
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The cases involve decisions made by the Speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly, declaring the Eknath Shinde-led faction as the real Shiv Sena and the Ajit Pawar-led group as the real NCP, both of which have been pivotal in the state’s shifting political landscape.
