Plea for cut in judges’ summer vacation dismissed

New Delhi, July 3 (IANS) The Delhi High Court Wednesday dismissed a petition seeking discontinuation of summer vacation for the judges, and said most of them spent a substantial part of the time in writing judgments.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice B.D. Ahmed and Justice Vibhu Bakhru refused to entertain the petition filed by Prakash India, a registered society, and said the petitioner “does not seem to be aware how the Delhi High Court is working”.

Suraj Prakash Manchanda, a retired bank officer who appeared for the petitioner, sought the quashing of a circular which notified the court’s summer vacation period as June 1-30.

The court observed that “most of the judges spend substantial part of vacation time in writing judgments at their offices”.

It rejected the contentions of the petitioner that either the judges should avail the vacation in rotation like police officers or the court should curtail the number of holidays to 10 or 15 days instead of 30 days.

“Just like police, the judiciary is a vital institution of public life that must be active throughout the year. Without a vibrant judiciary functioning at all times, democracy and rights of the people stand to be eroded by power and corruption,” the petition said.

The court said: “Unfortunately other organisations cannot be compared with court system. It is not practically feasible nor advisable to work in rotation. It might become absolutely chaotic. Judges and lawyers are overworked. We don’t find any merit in this case and dismiss it.”

The judges said the high court has been maintaining 210 working days in a year as per a central government communication.

Manchanda said there were 60,000 pending cases in the Delhi High Court and the judges and lawyers could not go on vacation as the litigants suffered.

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