Set up 12 special courts to hear cases of lawmakers by March 1: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has directed that 12 special courts, to be set up to exclusively deal with cases involving lawmakers, should start functioning from 1st of March next year. A bench comprising Justices Ranjan Gogoi and Navin Sinha yesterday asked the Centre to forthwith allocate 7.80 crore rupees proportionately to the respective states. 

It said that immediately after the allocation of the funds by the Centre, the concerned state governments should, in consultation with the high courts, set up these special courts and ensure that they become functional from March 1.

The bench also granted two months time to the Centre to collect and collate the data regarding cases involving MPs and MLAs pending across the country. The Court observed



that information sought by it was not readily available. 

The apex court had on November 1 directed the Centre to place before it the details regarding 1,581 cases involving MPs and MLAs, as declared by the politicians at the time of filing their nominations during the 2014 general elections. It said, the main issue relating to a life ban on convicted politicians would be taken up for hearing in the month of March. The court posted the matter for hearing on March 7. 

The apex court was hearing petitions seeking to declare the provisions of the Representation of People Act, which bar convicted politician from contesting elections for six years after serving jail term, as ultra vires of the Constitution.