Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to take up the long-pending demand for establishing a permanent bench of the Supreme Court in Chennai with the top court.
In this context, he highlighted the geographical and financial difficulties faced by litigants from southern states who have to travel all the way to New Delhi to seek justice from the Supreme Court. This was despite Tamil Nadu assuring the provision of necessary infrastructure, including residential accommodation for Supreme Court judges. The Chief Minister pointed out that the demand dates back to 1980. Referring to Article 32 of the Constitution, which guarantees citizens the right to approach the Supreme Court for enforcement of fundamental rights, Vijay said although the Constitution’s framers intended this remedy to be accessible to every citizen, rich or poor, it has, over time, become practically accessible mainly to those who are geographically closer to the top court and financially capable of meeting litigation and travel expenses. Citing Chennai’s legal legacy, Vijay pointed out that the Madras High Court is one of India’s oldest chartered High Courts, established in 1862. The letter recalled that the Supreme Court’s Full Court, at a meeting on August 7, 2007, had found no justification to depart from its earlier resolutions opposing the proposal.
He also highlighted the professional competence of the Madras High Court Bar Council and said the city is strategically placed to serve the southern states.
