“People Who Criticise Court Vacations Don’t Understand Judges Don’t Have Holidays On Weekends”: SC

The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday has said people who criticise that the top court and high courts take long vacations don’t understand that judges don’t have holidays even on Saturdays & Sundays.

THE BENCH

The observation came from a bench of Justice BR Gavai and Justice Sandeep Mehta after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said those who criticise that apex court and high courts take long vacations doesn’t know how judges work.

The issue of vacation came up after the apex court, which posted the West Bengal matter for arguments on Thursday, told both the sides that the arguments be concluded before the supreme court goes on summer vacation, which will commence from May 20.

Mehta told the bench when it heard a lawsuit filed by the West Bengal government that has accused the CBI of going ahead with its probe without securing the prerequisite nod from the state, “All those who criticise that Supreme Court and high courts are on long vacations, they don’t know how judges work.”

Justice Gavai stated, “People who criticise, they don’t understand that we don’t have holidays on Saturdays and Sundays. There are other assignments, conferences.”

Mehta, who was appearing for the Centre in the West Bengal matter, told the bench that judges of the top court deal with 50-60 cases on a daily basis and they deserve vacation.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who was also appearing in the matter, said, “It is the toughest job in the country.”

The bench stated during vacations, the judges write judgements in cases heard by them. “Long judgements have to be written during vacations,” the bench observed.

It stated the judgement in the matter can then be written during the summer vacation. Mehta said, “People who do not know the system, criticises it.”

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