"Calendar was prepared in November last year. Why are you approaching us now?" - Bombay HC Adjourns Plea Challenging Long Vacations
The High Court adjourned the plea challenging vacation of courts due to festivals. The petition had claimed violation of fundamental rights due to closure of courts. The case will be heard post diwali vacation
A Division Bench of the Bombay High Court, on Thursday, adjourned a petition filed against long vacations and closure of Court to November 15.
The petition was mentioned before Justice S.V Gangapurwala and Justice R.N Laddha on Thursday morning, stating that the petition is not against court vacations but everyone, including lawyers and judges need breaks.
The bench questioned the advocate for the petitioner that
"Why are you approaching us now? The calendar was prepared in November last year."
The bench told that advocate that the judges came to know about the petition through a newspapaer. The bench then agreed to list the petition on November 15, after Diwali Vacation.
The plea filed by Sabina Lakdawala, states that the long vacations that are a relic of the colonial era have contributed to the further collapse of the already collapsing justice delivery system, and suits the convenience of a microscopic minority of elite lawyers.
The plea further states that long vacations for the High Court will be closed for three weeks for Diwali, with only a small number of Justices to hear emergent cases, affecting her right to seek justice within a reasonable time.
The petition claimed a violation of fundamental rights due to the closure of courts and suggested that instead of closing the courts for the entire duration of the Diwali, Christmas, and midsummer holidays, they should be kept open at half-strength. Festivals such as Diwali and Christmas are sacred to us Indians.
Case title: Sabina Lakdawala vs. The Hon’ble Chief Justice High Court of Bombay & Ors.