
Chief Justice refrains from hearing sensitive cases
The Hindu
Constitutional propriety demands that, he says
Madras High Court Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee on Tuesday refrained from hearing a case challenging the constitutional validity of a provision of the Copyright Rules of 2013. He said it might not in the interest of constitutional propriety, on the part of a judge under order of transfer, to hear such a case.
The Chief Justice avoided hearing several other sensitive cases as well, and adjourned them simpliciter, since the Union Ministry of Law and Justice had on Monday notified a Presidential order, transferring him to the High Court of Meghalaya. For the first time, he wound up the court proceedings early in the day.
Fondly called the “10:26 judge” at his parent High Court in Kolkata, Chief Justice Banerjee continued the practice even after his elevation as Chief Justice of the Madras High Court this January. There has never been a day when he did not occupy the dais, much before the bell rang at 10:30 am. He had also made it a point to sit through the entire court working hours and beyond to perform his duties.

Former CM B.S. Yediyurappa had challenged the first information report registered on March 14, 2024, on the alleged incident that occurred on February 2, 2024, the chargesheet filed by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), and the February 28, 2025, order of taking cognisance of offences afresh by the trial court.