No decision on UCC for now, some writ petitions are pending in SC: Rijiju

Law Minister says matter on setting up regional branches of Supreme Court is currently sub-judice

Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said no decision has been taken by the government to implement the Uniform Civil Code for now, as some writ petitions regarding the matter are pending in the apex court.

Commenting on the proposal to set up regional branches of the apex court, the Minister said the Law Commission of India had thrice recommended the establishment of regional branches of the Supreme Court in East, West, North, and South India. The matter was referred to the Chief Justice of India. However, the Supreme Court in a full court meeting decided not to consider the recommendation on February 18, 2010. Then, in 2016, it referred the issue to the Constitutional Bench. As things stand today, the matter is sub-judice.

“The Eleventh Law Commission in its 125th Report titled “The Supreme Court-A Fresh Look”, submitted in 1988, reiterated the recommendations made by Tenth Law Commission in its 95th Report for splitting the Supreme Court into two namely (i) Constitutional Court at Delhi and (ii) Court of appeal or Federal Court sitting in North, South, East, West and Central India. The Eighteenth Law Commission in its 229th Report had also suggested that a Constitutional Bench be set up at Delhi and four Cassation Benches be set up in the Northern region at Delhi, Southern region at Chennai/Hyderabad, Eastern region at Kolkata, and the Western region at Mumbai. The matter was referred to the Chief Justice of India, who informed that after consideration of the matter, the Full Court in its meeting held on February 18, 2010, found no justification for setting up benches of the Supreme Court outside Delhi. In 2016, the Supreme Court deemed it proper to refer the aforementioned issue to the Constitutional Bench for authoritative pronouncement. The matter is sub-judice in the Supreme Court,” the Minister said.

The Minister had also informed the Rajya Sabha earlier that there was no plan to bring the ‘All India Judicial Services’ exam as there was no consensus between the High Courts and the State governments on the issue.

Taking a question on the corruption in the judiciary, the Law Minister explained that accountability in the higher judiciary is maintained through an “in-house procedure” adopted by the Supreme Court in its full court meeting held on May 7, 1997.

"The issue of checking corruption in the judiciary is to be addressed by the judiciary itself, as it is an independent organ under the Indian Constitution," he stated.