Attorney General calls to quit conversion of SC into small casual court

New Delhi: R Venkataramani, India's attorney general, emphasised on Saturday the need to clear the Supreme Court of its backlog of cases and said the government must quit clogging it up with interminable statutory appeals and high court cases.

Speaking to a large audience at the Supreme Court's Constitution Day festivities, Venkataramani said that the government needs a litigation policy to prevent every issue from turning into litigation.

Since 2015, November 26 is observed as Constitution Day to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution by the Constituent Assembly in 1949. Earlier, the day was observed as Law Day.

"It is important that the government stops overloading the Supreme Court with endless statutory appeals alongside a seamless and huge flow of cases from high courts. The conversion of the Supreme Court into a small causal court must stop," he said, adding that the high court should also be decongested.

Venkataramani said every department must have a resolution wing with competent and independent legal equipment to resolve facts-based issues.

"Only complex matters with legal issues which cannot be resolved must go for institutional resolution. I am confident the government will give an ear to an earnest attorney general to draw a quick roadmap," Venkataramani said at the event also attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju and Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud.

The attorney general said family courts needed to become more comfortable and that there was a need for a settlement commission when it came to property law and more.

"Rule of law is a non-violent revolution. More room for rule of law reduces violence. I look forward to a day when the west may come learning from us on justice standards. Colonialism of minds and people would be free," he said.

With PTI inputs