[New Benches Of High Courts] No Complete Proposal Pending With Government For Setting Up Bench(es) In Any High Court: Law Ministry

The Law Minister Kiren Rijiju responded that High Court Benches are established in accordance with the recommendations made by the Jaswant Singh Commission and Apex Court judgment in Federation of Bar Associations In Karnataka v. Union of India [W.P.(C) No.379 of 2000] and after due consideration of a complete proposal from the State Government which has to provide necessary expenditure and infrastructural facilities and the Chief Justice of the concerned High Court who is required to look after the day today administration of the High Court.

The aforesaid information was provided in response to the following questions raised by MPs Vinayak Raut and Omprakash Bhupalsinh alias Pawan Rajenimbalkar:

"(a) whether the Government proposes to setup new benches of High Courts and if so, the criteria fixed in this regard;

(b) whether the Government has received requests/proposals from various States in this regard;

(c) if so, the details thereof along with the action taken by the Government thereon;

(d) if not, the action plan of the Government to set up new benches of High Courts across the country;

(e) whether the Government has taken necessarysteps in consultation with the State Governments to set up the said benches; and

(f) if so, the details thereof and the time by which these steps are likely to be implemented?"