It is not uncommon for courts to stay open late due to emergency hearings, but hearing 190 cases in a day when the pace of judicial work is heavily criticised set a new standard.
Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju praised Bombay High Court, Justice SS Shinde, on Friday for sitting from 10.30 am to 8 pm on Thursday and hearing over 190 cases, far exceeding the work schedule. Following Bar and Bench, the bench heard over 200 cases on Thursday.
Kiren Rijiju posted a photo of his chamber on Twitter and wrote, "I'm delighted to learn that Justice SS Shinde of the Bombay High Court heard more than 190 cases yesterday. From 10.30 am to 8 pm, he sat on the bench!"
I'm very happy to learn that Justice SS Shinde of Bombay High Court had heard over 190 cases yesterday. He sat in the bench from 10.30 am to 8 pm ! pic.twitter.com/GGPTe5fGh3
— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju)
The high court's regular working hours are 10.30 am to 4.30 pm. It is not uncommon for courts to stay open late due to emergency hearings, but hearing 190 cases in a day at a time when the pace of judicial work is heavily criticised sets a new standard.
SJ Kathawalla, who recently retired, once heard 150 cases in a single sitting, as per Bar and Bench.
Justice SS Shinde, the Bombay High Court's third most senior judge, is set to retire in a month. The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended him as the new Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court.
In recent years, Justice SS Shinde has presided over several high-profile cases, including Elgar Parishad, the abetment to suicide case against Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami, and the cases against former Maharashtra minister Anil Deshmukh and Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut.
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