India’s Supreme Court rejects plea seeking priority hearing in High Court

India’s Supreme Court has refused to entertain a petition by a former judicial officer seeking an expedited hearing of his pending case before the Allahabad High Court. A bench comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana said everyone had an equal right to access justice, regardless of status.

The former judicial officer is challenging his termination from service before the High Court. The Supreme Court initially observed that the petitioner should approach the High Court and request action there. Counsel for the petitioner responded that the High Court’s heavy caseload had delayed consideration of the matter.

The bench said asking the High Court to give priority to the petitioner’s case would be unfair to other litigants waiting for their matters to be decided. It said the court would not create an individual intervention within what it described as a space of constitutional equality. The judges directed that the petitioner could pursue the matter before the appropriate court.

The ruling leaves the former officer’s challenge to his termination before the Allahabad High Court. The court’s comments centred on equal access to justice and the principle that one litigant should not receive preferential treatment solely because a request for an expedited hearing has been made.