2014 witnessed highest disposal of cases by Supreme Court – 83,013, says CJI Dattu

The year 2014 has witnessed the highest disposal rate by the Supreme Court of India – 83,013 cases in total, revealed Chief Justice of India HL Dattu. He was addressing a gathering of lawyers and judges on the occasion of Law Day celebrations held by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) in the Supreme Court lawns..A tradition which began in 1979 under the leadership of Dr. LM Singhvi, Law day is celebrated each year to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution of India by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949. Starting this year, the Government of India has also declared this day as Constitution Day..Chief Justice HL Dattu was the Chief Guest while Law Minister DV Sadananda Gowda was the Guest of Honour. The function was attended by Supreme Court judges, eminent jurists and members of the Bar..The evening began with a welcome address by SCBA Vice President V Shekhar. Shekhar said that unlike in other mature democracies, government agencies and other organisations in India do not set out a vision or plan and work towards achieving the objects set out therein. He requested the Law Minister to present a vision paper of the Law Ministry every Law Day setting out what the Ministry proposes to do that year..SCBA President Dushyant Dave, who will be running for a second term, said that those who work the Constitution should strive towards achieving the principles embodied in it. He said that Dr. BR Ambedkar’s apprehensions about the wrong people working the Constitution seems to have turned out to be prophetic..Attorney General for India, Mukul Rohatgi spoke about the significance of the Constitution in holding the country together..“We are not like the Britain or US where people belong to one or two religions and similar walks of life. We have Dalits, different ethnic groups and backward classes; Constitution is what holds all of us together.”.Rohatgi also showered praises on the Drafting Committee and its Chairman, Dr. BR Ambedkar for completing the mammoth task of writing the Constitution within 3 years. The Constitution, said Rohatgi, should be “held like any other religious document – Gita, Quran, Bible.”.Law Minister Sadananda Gowda also spoke about the significance of the Constitution..“Our Constitutional founders envisaged a rule neither by historical injustices nor by whims of dictators. Judiciary plays a vital role in a democracy as a custodian of rights and upholder of Rule of law.”.The last to speak was Chief Justice HL Dattu who stressed on a healthy relationship between the Bench and the Bar to tackle various problems including pendency..“Delay and pendency are old foes to Indian judicial system. Co-operation between the Bar and the Bench is necessary to tackle delay.”..He said that the Law Day function is an occasion “to acknowledge the sovereignty of people of India; it is to them that Constitution belongs”. Dattu also said that the year 2014 witnessed the highest disposal of cases by Supreme Court – 83,013..The function concluded with the SCBA felicitating those members of the Bar who had completed fifty years in the profession. The advocates who secured the first and second ranks in the Advocate-on-Record Examination, and lawyers who authored books were also felicitated.