A-G pushes for National Courts of Appeal to relieve pressure on SC

Four such courts would drastically reduce pendency, K.K. Venugopal said

Attorney General of India K.K. Venugopal argued on the front-foot in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana, on Constitution Day, for the revival of a 11-year-old proposal to set up National Courts of Appeal in four regions of the country.

He said four ‘Courts of Appeal’ with 15 judges each could act as intermediate appellate courts between the State High Courts and the Supreme Court. They would absorb matrimonial disputes, rent control cases and such like which clog the Supreme Court, adding to pendency. The judgments of these courts of appeal would be final, he said.

“These courts would also mean we are adding 60 judges who would be taking over these cases. Pendency would be cut down to a very great extent. Cases could be disposed of in three or four years’ time,” Mr. Venugopal explained on Friday.