Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take steps to establish a regional bench of the Supreme Court in Chennai, renewing the state's long-standing demand for better access to the country's highest court.
In a letter to Modi on Wednesday, Vijay said the demand had been raised by Tamil Nadu since 1980. He argued that the remedy available under Article 32 of the Constitution, which allows citizens to approach the Supreme Court, was practically accessible mainly to those living closer to Delhi and those able to afford litigation and travel expenses.
Litigants from southern states have to travel to Delhi to seek redressal, he said, adding that a Supreme Court bench in Chennai would benefit people across the region.
Recalling that the Supreme Court had decided against setting up regional benches at a meeting on 7 August 2007, Vijay said the distance between Delhi and the southern states continued to prevent many citizens from effectively accessing the constitutional remedy under Article 32.
He expressed confidence that Modi would take up the matter afresh with the Supreme Court and encourage it to reconsider its position, taking into account Tamil Nadu's long-standing demand and Chennai's importance to the southern states.
Vijay said the framers of the Constitution had intended to ensure that all citizens, irrespective of their financial circumstances, had direct access to the apex court. He described Article 32 as a significant constitutional safeguard that was not available in many other countries.
The chief minister also referred to recommendations made by parliamentary standing committees in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2021, as well as Law Commission reports that had reiterated the need for permanent regional benches.
He pointed to the constitutional provision allowing the Supreme Court to function from Delhi or other locations, noting that the issue had also been discussed at a conference of chief justices in 1979.
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Vijay highlighted the historical significance of Chennai's legal institutions, noting that the Madras High Court was among the oldest chartered high courts in the country, established in 1862.
"I would also like to draw your attention to the fact that the establishment of the Supreme Court Bench is one among the questions of law raised for consideration and reference to the Constitutional Bench for an authoritative pronouncement in the orders of the Supreme Court," he wrote.
In 2024, the Union government had informed the Lok Sabha that the Supreme Court had said there was no need for regional benches.
