Tamil Nadu CM C Joseph Vijay urged PM Modi to facilitate a Supreme Court bench in Chennai.
He cited travel expenses and geographical barriers faced by litigants from southern states in accessing justice.
Vijay invoked Article 130 and earlier committee recommendations to renew the demand for regional benches.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to facilitate the establishment of a Supreme Court bench in Chennai, arguing that the distance to Delhi and the cost of travel make access to the country's highest court difficult for litigants from southern states.
Vijay described the proposal as a long-standing demand of Tamil Nadu, first raised in 1980, and asked the prime minister to take up the matter with the Supreme Court for reconsideration, reported India Today.
In his communication to Modi, Vijay invoked Article 130 of the Constitution, which provides for the Supreme Court to sit outside Delhi at a location decided by the Chief Justice of India with the President's approval.
He said a bench in Chennai would bring the apex court closer to litigants in southern India and reduce the financial and logistical difficulties associated with travelling to the national capital for legal proceedings.
Access To Justice
Vijay argued that geographical distance and litigation expenses affect people's ability to approach the Supreme Court, particularly those who cannot afford repeated travel to Delhi.
He said the Constitution's framers intended to ensure that every citizen, irrespective of financial circumstances, had access to the Supreme Court. However, he maintained that the practical exercise of the right under Article 32 remained difficult for people living far from the national capital.
A Chennai bench, he said, would improve access to justice for people across southern states. He also referred to the legal infrastructure available in the city, including the Madras High Court, established in 1862.
Vijay further argued that a regional bench would be consistent with India's federal structure and would not compromise judicial independence, as its functioning and authority would remain under the Chief Justice of India.
Earlier Opposition To Regional Benches
The chief minister referred to the Supreme Court Full Court meeting held on August 7, 2007, which had declined to reconsider the proposal for establishing benches outside Delhi.
He said Tamil Nadu had offered to provide the necessary infrastructure, including suitable residential accommodation for Supreme Court judges, to facilitate the establishment of a bench in Chennai.
Vijay also cited the Supreme Court's July 13, 2016 order in the V Vasanthakumar case, which referred issues concerning the establishment of a Supreme Court bench to a five-judge Constitution Bench.
Committees Backed Regional Benches
Vijay also drew attention to recommendations made by Parliamentary Standing Committees in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2021, along with Law Commission reports that supported the establishment of permanent regional benches of the Supreme Court.
Citing these recommendations and the earlier discussions on the issue, he urged Modi to reopen the proposal and seek a fresh consideration of the demand.
The chief minister maintained that a Supreme Court bench in Chennai would help address geographical barriers to justice and make the country's highest judicial institution more accessible to litigants in southern India.
