Judicial Federalism: The 'Master of Roster' and the SC-HC Power Balance
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Indian Polity & Governance (Indian Judiciary - Supreme Court, High Courts, their powers, jurisdiction, and independence; Constitutional Provisions).
Mains: GS Paper 2 (Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary; Separation of powers between various organs; Pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the Polity).
Key Highlights from the News
Supreme Court's Intervention: Following an "absurd" order by an Allahabad High Court judge (Justice Prashant Kumar), the Supreme Court directed the High Court Chief Justice not to assign criminal cases to that judge and to place him in a division bench with a senior judge.
'Master of Roster' Principle: This directive sparked a debate, being seen as an encroachment on the 'master of roster' (exclusive authority to decide which cases are assigned to which bench) power of a High Court Chief Justice.
Controversy: Lawyers from the Allahabad High Court protested the Supreme Court's directive. Subsequently, the Supreme Court withdrew its controversial directives after the intervention of the Chief Justice of India (CJI).
Supreme Court's Explanation: The Supreme Court explained that its intervention was to ensure the rule of law and protect the dignity of the judiciary. The court clarified that it did not intend to interfere with the High Court Chief Justice's authority.
Legal Questions: This incident raises a significant question: Does the Supreme Court have the authority to intervene in the administrative affairs of High Courts? In the Tirupati Balaji Developers case, the Supreme Court had previously ruled that it does not have "power of superintendence" over High Courts.
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