Justice CR Pal Commission's report under examination: Odisha government to HC

CUTTACK:  The State government has claimed before the Orissa High Court that the Justice CR Pal Commission's report on permanent High Court benches is under examination. Joint Secretary of Home department Samarendra Dhal stated it in an affidavit which was placed before the court on Thursday.

The court was hearing a PIL seeking intervention against formation of a committee by the government for consideration of permanent High Court benches. The commission was appointed on March 11, 2008 to study and report on appropriateness of setting up HC benches other than the principal bench in Cuttack.

The commission submitted its report on March 31, 2014. The petition filed by advocate Shivsankar Mohanty contended that keeping the commission report under wraps and again constituting a committee is illegal, without jurisdiction and bad in law.

However, in his counter affidavit, Dhal said the government is well aware of the limitations of the executive and by forming the committee has not usurped upon the jurisdiction of the judiciary. "The committee has been constituted with a view to consider various aspects, which may contribute to or be reckoned with, to the extent, the role of the government is required, in the direction of establishment of permanent bench of High Court in western and southern regions of the State," Dhal said.

The division bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice BP Routray allowed the petitioner to file a rejoinder to the counter affidavit by the next date (October 27). The Home department had first constituted a five-member committee with Additional Chief Secretary of Home as chairman on March 8, 2019 for the purpose.