Describing any court as ‘lower courts’ undermines constitutional ethos, says Supreme Court | India News

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday reiterated that trial courts shouldn’t be referred to as “lower courts,” saying that such terminology goes in opposition to the ethos of the Constitution.A bench of justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih, whereas acquitting two life convicts in a 1981 homicide case, mentioned, “Before we part with the judgment, we reiterate the direction issued in the order dated February 8, 2024, that the record of the trial court should not be referred to as ‘lower court record.'”“Describing any court as a ‘lower court’ is against the ethos of our Constitution,” mentioned Justice Oka, who authored the decision for the bench.He famous that the apex court registry had issued a round in February final 12 months to implement this directive. Justice Oka urged excessive courts to be aware of the path and act accordingly.The verdict got here in response to appeals by two convicts difficult the October 2018 resolution of the Allahabad High Court, which had upheld their conviction and life imprisonment in a homicide case. The convicts had approached the excessive court to problem the trial court’s verdict.Earlier, in February 2024, a bench of justices Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan had directed the apex court’s registry to cease utilizing the time period “lower courts” to explain trial courts. The court mentioned that even the information from trial courts shouldn’t be referred to as “lower court records.”Meanwhile, Justice Oka demitted workplace on Saturday after serving as a decide for 21 years and 9 months.Reflecting on his judicial profession, Justice Oka mentioned he grew to become so immersed in his work that “judgeship became life and life became judgeship.”He emphasised that whereas becoming a member of the bench could not deliver the identical earnings as a authorized apply, the job brings immense skilled satisfaction.“Judgeship is a beautiful concept. When you are a lawyer, you may have several constraints, but when you are a judge, nobody controls you except the Constitution, the laws, and your own conscience,” Justice Oka mentioned.