IMPHAL, December 11: Regarding its demand for non-absorption of Judges of other States in the High Court of Manipur and for establishment of the High Court with seven Judges, the High Court Bar Association, Manipur has today submitted a memorandum to the Union Minister Law and Justice and the state Chief Minister.
In the memorandum the association has brought two points for the consideration and implementation by the concerned authorities.
The first point is the demand that no Judge from the common Gauhati High Court be absorbed in the High Court of Manipur except those elevated from Manipur.
The memorandum has reasoned out that the Gauhati High Court is the High Court of 7 (seven) North-East States with separate quotas of Judgeship (Assam-11, Nagaland-2, Meghalaya-2, Manipur-4, Tripura-3, Mizoram- 1 and Arunachal Pradesh-1 : Total=24).
“It is the real fact that Manipur is worstly affected in the appointment of Judges and Judicial (infrastructural) development for want of the Administration of a High Court; as the Chief Justice, Gauhati High Court is unable to give full time attention to all States except Assam. A Common High Court should not be for too many States”, it said.
It has continued that the people of Manipur are neglected all along in the matter of elevation as Judges of the High Court and all vacancies in the quota of Manipur stand usurped by Assam since 1972 till date.
“In the separation of the High Court of Manipur from the Common Gauhati High Court; no Judge appointed from other States can be absorbed as it shall deprive the rights of those deserving members of the Bar and Subordinate Judiciary in Manipur for many years to come.”
The second point it has highlighted is that the High Court of Manipur should be installed to be a High Court consisting of 7(seven) judges.
It said, “In the Common Gauhati High Court, the strength of Judge for Manipur is 4(four). There were many pending cases in Manipur. During 2007 to 2011, 4(four) Judges were posted and working at Imphal. Besides a large number of cases were also transferred to the Principal Bench at Guwahati for speedy disposal as the Judges posted at Imphal could not take up the matter. In this way as many as 16,922 cases were disposed during 2007 to 2011 by utilizing the Services of 7/8 Judges working parallel both at Imphal as well as at Guwahati”.
“At present there are about 5000 pending cases in lmphal.”
“The present Gauhati High Court i.e. the former Assam High Court was established in 1949 with 7(seven) Judges when there was only few cases pending (less than 100 cases). Even the Sikkim High Court was established with 3(three) Judges when there was only 20/30 cases”, it said.