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Been a witness and victim of adjournment culture in Patna High Court: Justice MR Shah

Justice MR Shah, a senior judge of the Supreme Court, has said that the Patna High Court has a very bad culture of adjourning cases, adding that he has been both a victim and a witness of it.

Justice Shah, prior to his elevation as the judge of the Supreme Court, had served as the Chief Justice of the Patna High Court.

It was during that time as the CJ of Patna High Court that he had experienced the adjournment culture first hand.

Justice Shah said the culture of adjournment was very much prevalent in Patna. He added that he has been a witness and victim of the system. “I have witnessed it, been its victim,” he added.

Talking about the Patna High Court, the judge said that when the lawyers keep asking for adjournment, what will the poor Judges do.

The top court has time and again taken a poor view of unnecessary adjournments.

The Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud and Justice Hima Kohli have recently spoken on how the practice of adjournments is being sought by lawyers who come to court without preparing to argue the case.

They had said that such practice leads to delay in justice delivery.

The remarks were made after a lawyer of a person languishing in jail for over 11 years, sought an adjournment citing the absence of the arguing counsel.

Justice Chandrachud had remarked that sometimes, lawyers are only obstructing justice. “We read briefs and hear till 5 pm, you cannot read in 5 minutes and argue your case?,” he had rebuked the lawyer.

The CJI had called for a change in the way lawyers work in the Supreme Court, asking them to realise that the Court’s time is valuable.

In a sad note, he said, “We have to change the style of working in the Supreme Court. Judges read briefs and then lawyers ask for adjournments.”

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