Supreme Court directs states to file reports relating to the amount disbursed for judicial infrastructure

Oct 27, 2022

New Delhi [India], October 27 : The Supreme Court recently directed State governments and Union Territories, and High Courts that are yet to submit affidavits pertaining to budget allocation and utilisation of funds for judicial infrastructure in a prescribed format to do so within a period of four weeks.
A bench of justices DY Chandrachud and Hima Kohli's direction came when it came to know that various States, UTs and High Courts are yet to file the data in the prescribed format.
The Apex Court on October 18 asked the State and UTs to file a report within four weeks.
"The associate advocate of the amicus curiae Vibha Datta Makhija shall coordinate with the Registry so that a common pagination can be generated for all the case files," the Court order read.
The court was dealing with matters relating to judicial infrastructure in the country.
On July 26 2022, the court directed a note titled "Consolidated Note for issues raised in the matter of Imtiyaz Ahmad v State of Uttar Pradesh" to all the Registrars General of all the High Courts as well as to the Law Secretaries to all the State Governments.
The court had also asked the Registrars General to respond to the note which has been submitted by the Additional Solicitor General insofar as it pertains to the infrastructure and strength of Judges in each of the respective States or, as the case may be, and the Union Territories.
The court had also directed the State Governments to submit their responses on affidavit specifically clarifying for the financial years 2017-18 to 2021-22, which extent of funds which have been made available to the State under Centrally Sponsored Schemes; the amount which has been disbursed by the State Government for the state and district judiciary; and the amount which remains to be provided to the State and District Judiciary or was diverted for other projects; and details of the utilization certificates.