The Supreme Court on Thursday turned down a petition by a former judicial officer seeking an expedited hearing of his pending case before the Allahabad High Court, underscoring that every person has an equal right to access justice.
A bench comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana ruled that directing preferential treatment for the petitioner would prejudice other litigants waiting for their disputes to be resolved. The court observed that within the framework of constitutional equality, it would not create individualistic interventions.
The former judicial officer had approached the apex court regarding his pending challenge against his termination from service. Counsel representing the petitioner argued that an intervention was necessary because the high court’s heavy case burden had prevented the matter from being decided.
Addressing the argument, the bench emphasized that access to justice applies uniformly across society, remarking that whether an individual is a bus conductor or a secretary of the state, their entitlement to the legal process remains identical.
The court observed that the petitioner ought to make any request for an earlier hearing directly before the high court, concluding that he remains free to pursue his matter before the appropriate judicial forum.
