Karnataka high court: Will the govt appoint Pakistani judges?

The Karnataka high court on Wednesday rapped the government over its inability to provide infrastructure for the judiciary. Hearing a public interest litigation (PIL), a division bench comprising chief justice JS Khehar and justice AS Bopanna said, “Is the government bankrupt?  Does it not have money for the judiciary? We will try and find the expenses of ministers, especially when they travel abroad. The high court is not a matter of serious concern for the government. Besides, the state is not utilising the Centre’s funds properly.”

Justice Khehar said, “I feel humiliated when I see representations from advocates seeking infrastructure. I cannot imagine that subordinate courts run in private buildings. The quantity of cases has gone up. There is no staff and infrastructure. Would you now have to appoint judges from Pakistan?”

The division bench was hearing the PIL filed by the HSR Layout Welfare Association and others, pleading against the allotment of civic amenity land for the construction of the judges’ colony. The residents had said that the land served as a playground to children from over 10,000 families, and could not be used for other purposes. The bench had earlier asked the government to file an affidavit on Wednesday, offering details of the construction of lower court buildings and residential quarters for both high court and lower court judges across the state. The government, however, sought more time to produce the affidavit, causing the bench to express its dismay.