We have complete faith in you: SC to Amicus in Nirbhaya Case [Read Order]

The Three Judge Bench hearing the Appeal filed by Accused persons in December 16 Gang Rape (Nirbhaya) Case, has re-iterated that the Court has full faith in the Amicus Curiae, Senior Advocates Raju Ramachandran and Sanjay Hegde and asked them to continue to assist the Court.

The Supreme Court had appointed the two Senior Lawyers to assist the Court and to ensure that there were no “inadequacies” and the convicts are ensured a “full and fair” hearing. But the Convicts had written to the Chief Justice of India against the appointment of Raju Ramachandran and Sanjay Hegde as amicus curiae. Yesterday at the commencement of the hearing , the senior counsel expressed some reservation on continuing as Amicus in the light of the above letter. The Bench comprising of Justices Dipak Misra, R Banumathi and Ashok Bhushan however made it clear that the court has complete faith in the intellectual integrity in the objective assistance of the amicus curiae who have been appointed by the Court and, therefore, they should not feel any agony on any score.

“Their duty is to assist the Court and we are sure they will do the same. We may hasten to clarify, the learned friends of the Court shall assist the Court with regard to the case and not with regard to any particular petitioner”, said the Bench.

After hearing Advocate Manohar Lal Sharma who appeared for the convict, the bench adjourned the case to 22^nd July for further hearing.

Read the order here.