Parliament Question: Sittings of Supreme Court outside Delhi

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1552 ANSWERED ON 12/02/2026 SITTINGS OF SUPREME COURT OUTSIDE DELHI

1552. DR. M. DHANAPAL:

Will the Minister of Law and Justice be pleased to state:

(a) whether Government has taken note of Article 130 of the Constitution enabling the Supreme Court to sit at places other than New Delhi with the President’s approval and whether Government has assessed regional sittings;

(b) if so, the details of proposals or representations received by Government during the last five years seeking Supreme Court benches or sittings in southern India, including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry; and

(c) the steps proposed to be taken by Government for examining such proposals with constitutional authorities and disclosing the status of consideration? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE; AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHWAL)

(a) to (c): Article 130 of the Constitution of India provides that the Supreme Court shall sit in Delhi or in such other place or places as the Chief Justice of India may, with the approval of the President, from time to time, appoint.

The Eleventh Law Commission in its 125th Report titled “The Supreme Court – A Fresh Look”, submitted in 1988, reiterated the recommendations made by Tenth Law Commission in its 95th Report for splitting the Supreme Court into two namely (i) Constitutional Court at Delhi and (ii) Court of appeal or Federal Court sitting in North, South, East, West and Central India. The Eighteenth Law Commission in its 229th Report had also suggested that a Constitutional Bench be set up at Delhi and four Cassation Benches be set upin the Northern region at Delhi, Southern region at Chennai/Hyderabad, Eastern region at Kolkata and Western region at Mumbai.

The matter was referred to the Chief Justice of India, who has informed that after consideration of the matter, the Full Court in its meeting held on 18th February, 2010, found no justification for setting up of benches of the Supreme Court outside Delhi.

In Writ Petition WP(C) No. 36/2016 on establishment of National Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court vide its judgment dated 13.07.2016 deemed it proper to refer the aforementioned issue to Constitutional Bench for authoritative pronouncement. The matter is sub-judice in the Supreme Court.

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