‘SC judges work 365 days a year’

Chief Justice of India-designate K.G. Balakrishnan has said judges of the Supreme Court are working 365 days in a year as even on holidays lot of reading and writing judgments take so much time. Interacting with the media a day before assuming office, he said, “They (judges) are terribly over-worked.”

Justice Balakrishnan termed the reported scuffle between two judges of the Gujarat High Court as an unfortunate incident. “We have sought a report from the Chief Justice of the HC and we will go according to it,” he said. On the issue of differences between Parliament and the judiciary, Justice Balakrishnan said it was a “matter of perception”.

Justice Balakrishnan, who will be the 37th CJI, spoke about how pending cases had been reduced in as many as six states. “There are states, which by implementing steps like night courts and double shifts, have substantially raised the number cases disposed over that of being filed,” he said.