Chief Justice refrains from hearing sensitive cases

Constitutional propriety demands that, he says

Madras High Court Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee on Tuesday refrained from hearing a case challenging the constitutional validity of a provision of the Copyright Rules of 2013. He said it might not in the interest of constitutional propriety, on the part of a judge under order of transfer, to hear such a case.

The Chief Justice avoided hearing several other sensitive cases as well, and adjourned them simpliciter, since the Union Ministry of Law and Justice had on Monday notified a Presidential order, transferring him to the High Court of Meghalaya. For the first time, he wound up the court proceedings early in the day.

Fondly called the “10:26 judge” at his parent High Court in Kolkata, Chief Justice Banerjee continued the practice even after his elevation as Chief Justice of the Madras High Court this January. There has never been a day when he did not occupy the dais, much before the bell rang at 10:30 am. He had also made it a point to sit through the entire court working hours and beyond to perform his duties.