Stalin writes to PM and CJI to make Tamil official language of courts
Chief Minister M K Stalin wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Justice of India N V Ramana to ensure diversity in judicial appointments, establish permanent regional benches and make Tamil a language of the courts.
In his letter to the PM and CJI, Stalin said, “For the past few years, we have been witnessing declining representation from all sections of the society in the higher judiciary, leading to diversity deficit.”
Stating that judicial diversity is fundamental to the quality of judging, and a broad-based, heterogeneous group of judges representing various sections of the society as a whole alone can reflect the views and values of society as a whole, particularly on issues involving historical, traditional, linguistic and cultural matter, the CM said, “All the states must find proportional representation on the bench of Supreme Court. I request your good selves to include the requirements to maintain social diversity and social justice in the appointment of High Court and Supreme Court judges in the memorandum of procedure to appoint judges and follow the same in true letter and spirit.”
Arguing that Article 32 was practically available only to citizens who are geographically close to the Supreme Court and financially privileged class to whom costs of litigation and travel do not matter, which is antithetical to the Constitutional mandate under Article 39, the CM said the citizens in southern, southwestern and eastern states are deprived of their fundamental right to approach the court.
The number of appeals being filed in the SC is more from states around the NCR region than states located further away from Delhi, Stalin said that Constitution permits the court (SC) to sit in other places in the country and the legislature has been conscious that the time is nigh for the establishment of permanent regional branches. Referring to the recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committees and Law commission, Stalin said requested the PM and CJI to “take appropriate steps to establish permanent regional benches of the SC in New Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai apart from the Constitution in New Delhi so that the citizens in other parts of the vast country have equal access to the apex court.