CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take up with the Supreme Court the long-pending demand for a permanent bench of the apex court in Chennai, citing the difficulties faced by litigants from southern states in accessing justice in Delhi.In a letter to Modi, Vijay said a Chennai bench would improve access to justice for people in south India and reflect the federal character of the country. He urged the Centre to pursue the proposal afresh with the Supreme Court and secure a favourable decision.Citing Article 130 of the Constitution, which allows the Supreme Court to sit at places other than Delhi with the President’s approval, Vijay recalled that Tamil Nadu had first mooted the proposal in 1980. The Supreme Court’s full bench rejected it in 2007 despite the state’s assurance to provide the necessary infrastructure, including residential accommodation for judges.Vijay argued that the constitutional remedy under Article 32 had, in practice, become difficult for people in southern states because of the distance from Delhi and the cost of travel and litigation.He cited recommendations by parliamentary standing committees in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2021, besides Law Commission reports favouring permanent regional benches. The issue was referred to a five-judge Constitution bench in 2016 in a case concerning the establishment of regional Supreme Court benches.Pointing out that the Madras high court, established in 1862, was among India’s oldest, Vijay said Chennai had the legal expertise and infrastructure to host the bench. He maintained that a regional bench would not affect judicial independence, as control would remain with the Chief Justice of India.
