Supreme Court turns ‘ordinary litigant’ in front of Delhi High Court, seeks permission for pro-green initiative

The highest authority in the country, the Supreme Court, is in the process of seeking permission from the Delhi High Court for and in a very unique initiative

In a very unique turn of events, the Supreme Court, instead of presiding over an issue has instead turned litigant, seeking permission from it's sister subordinate, the High Court of Delhi.

The Supreme Court of India turns petitioner in front of the High Court of Delhi: Here's why!(Photos: Supreme Court, Harvard)

A plan to expand the Supreme Court complex stands temporarily held up owing to trees — 26 to be exact, which as per the law need to be transplanted to a separate location, as cutting them sans permission is deemed illegal via multiple acts. Seeing as the Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority in India, the decision to transplant the trees and expand the complex could have been taken internally. However, in a bid to demonstrate the efficiency of the judicial machinery as well as set an example when it comes to following the word of law, the Supreme Court itself has turned petitioner, currently awaiting for a go-ahead from the Delhi High Court on the matter.

A Civil Miscellaneous Application was filed by Supreme Court Project Division - I, Central Public Works Department in the matter titled, 'Bhavreen Kandhari Vs. Shri C D Singh & Ors.' pending before Hon’ble Mr. Justice Jasmeet Singh, High Court of Delhi.

The intervention application was argued by Advocate Sudhir Mishra. The project in question stands titled 'Expansion of Supreme Court building for creating additional court rooms including constitutional court, chambers for the judges and facilities for lawyers & litigants'.

Speaking to Sonal Kalra, Chief Managing Editor, Entertainment and Lifestyle, Hindustan Times, Advocate Mishra shared, "They want to reconstruct, redevelop Supreme Court. So there are certain trees coming in its way. The issue has been take to the Delhi High Court, with the Supreme Court acting as an ordinary litigant. That's the uniqueness of this order and I represented Supreme Court's Central Public Works Department before the Delhi High Court for such approval. That actually shows the robustness of our judicial accountability and also the fact that Supreme Court demonstrates that everybody is equal in the eyes of law".

The application along with the matter is set to be taken up on January 31.