Title not extracted — [1983] 1 S.C.R. 655

The Judgment of the Court was delivered by

.. SEN, J. This appeal· by special leave· is directed against the G judgment and order of the Bombay High Court dated-·-December 14,

1981. By 1its judgment the High ·court struck down an order dated August 27, 1981 by which the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court, in exercise of his powers under sub·s. (3) of s.. 51 of the States Reorganization Act, 1956 ·(Act XXXVII of l 956i (for short 'the H Act') with. the prior approval of the Governor of Maharashtra, directed that the Judges and Division Courts of the High Court of

660 SUPRl!MB COURT REPORT [1983) I &,C.R.

A Bombay shall also sit at Aurangahad with effect from August 27, '1981 for the disposal of cases arising out of the Marathwada region . ' of the State of Maharashtra.

By an order dated May 4, -1982 we allowed the appeal and set aside the judgment of the High Court since it did not appear -to us B that the impngncd order _issued by the Chief Justice suffered from any infirmity, legal or constitutional. ·.We now proceed to give our· reasons.

By virtue of sub-s. (I) of s. 49, the High Court of Bombay exercising immediately before the appointed day i.e. November I, c 1956, jurisdiction in relation to the. existing State of Bombay, was ·deemed to be the High· Court for the new State of Bombay constitut- s. ed under sub-section (1) of 8 ·of the Act. Immediately before the appointed day, i.e. on October 27, 1956, the Central Government while telegraphically communicating to the then Chief Justice {Chagla, C.J.) the issue of a Presidential Order under sub-s. (I) of s. 51 of the Act appointing- Bombay to be the principal seat of the High Court for the new State of Bombay with effect from November I, 1956, conveyed that as from· that date the High Court shall function only at that place unless the Chief Justice issued an order under sub-s. (3) of s. 51 of the Act that temporary Benches may also function at other places. the then Chief Justice was advised that he· E should issue such notification on the appointed day, i.e. November I, 1956, for the establishment of Circuit Benches at Nagpur and Rajkot with a view to preserve the continuity of judicial administra·.. tion, since the High Court of Madhya Pradesh had its principal scat' at Nagpur and the High Court of Saurashtra at Rajkot, prior. to the appointed day.. The then Chief Justice accordingly issued an order • F under sub-s. (3) of s. 51 of the Act with the prior approval of the _/',,... Governor by which he appointed Nagpur and Rajkot to be places ' / - at which the Judges and Division Courts of the Bombay High Court · · would also sit with effect from November 1, 1956. · The two Benches at Nagpur and Rajkot coniinued to function till May I, 1960 when the bilingual State of Bombay was bifurcated· into two. separate G States-The ·state of Maharashtra ard the State of Gu)arat-by the Bombay Reorganization Act, 1960 {Act XI of 1960).

Prior to the constitution of the States Reorganization H Commission in December 1953, leaders of political parties from the Marathi-speaking areas in the Vidarbha and Marathwada regions and of the then State of Bombay signed an agreement or pa~t called

MAHARASHTRA v. N.S. PVRANIK (Sen, J.) 661

the Nagpur pact on September 23, .1953 which formed a basis for joint representation to the States Reorganization Commission and was the basis for the ·formation of Maharashtra' as a new State for the Marathi-speaking people of the former State of .Bombay, the Vidarbha region of the former State of Madhya Pradesh, and the Marathwada region of the erstwhile State of Hyderabad. Cl. (7) of the Nagpur Pact provides that the provision with regard to the B establishment of a permanent Bench of. the High Court at Nagpur shall apply mutatis mutandis fo the Marathwada region.

It appears that d~e to continued demand of the people of Mara.thwada region for the establishment of a permanent Bench of the.High Court at Aurangabad under sub's1 (2) of s. 51 of,the Act, c the State Government first took up, the issue with the then Chief Justice (Kantawala, C.J.) in 1977. On March 22, 1978, the State Legislative. Assembly passed a unanimous resolution supporting a demand for the establishment of a permanent Bench ·of the High . Court at Aurangabad co the effect : · D 1 "With a view to save huge expenses and to reduce the inconvenience of the people of the Marathwada and Pune regions in connection with legal proceedings, this Assembly recommends to the Government . to make a request to the President to establish a permanent Bench of the Bofubay High Court having jurisdiction in Mar~thwada E .• arid Pune· regions, one·: at Aurangabad and the other at Pune."

The said demand for the constitution of a permanent Bench of the '• High Court at Aurangabad was supported 'by the State Bar Council ·~ of Maharashtra, .Advocates' Association of Western India, several F ~ bar associations and people in .general. It is necessary here to · mention that the resolution-at originally .moved made a demand for the setting up of a permanent Bench of the ·High' Court of Bombay at Aurangabad .for the Marathwada region, and· there w~s no reference to Pune which was added. by way cif _amendment: Initially, the State Governme,nt made a .recommendation to the Central G Government in 1978 for the establishment of two permanent Benches under sub-s. (2) of s. 51 of the Act, one at Aurangabad and the other at Pime, but later in f981 confined its recommendation to Anranga· bad alone. · ' · · H The State Government thereafter ·took a Cabinet decision in January, 1981 to establish a permanent Bench of the High Court at

662 SUPltBMB COURT RBPOP.1s [1983] I S.C.R.

A Aurangabad and this was conveyed by the Secretary to the Govern- · men! of Maharashtra, Law & Judiciary Department, communicated ' by his letter dated February 3, 1981 to the· Registrar and he was requested, with the permission_ of the Chief Justice, to submit proposals regarding accommodation for ·the Court and residential bungalows for the Judges, staff, furniture etc. necessary for setting up B a the Bench. As result of this communication, the Chief Justice wrote to the Chief . Minister on February 26, I 981 signifying his consent to the establishment of a permanent Bench at Aurangabad. After adverting to the fact that his predecessors had opposed such a move· and had indicated, amongst other things, that such ·a step c involved, as it does, breaking up of the integrity of the institution and the Bar, which would necessarily impair the quality and quantity of the disposals, he nonetheless went on to say : ·

"As against that I a,m personally aware of the D difficulties to which the litigant public of Marathwada is subjected to, in regard to their causes in this High Court since the Marathwada area became a part of the Bombay ,\ Siate with effect from 1.11.1956, resulting virtually in the stifling of the genuine litigation therefrom: Grievances .on this count are many and genuine to my knowledge. Establishment and continued existence of the !lenches in • E the High Courts of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bibar, Kerala and a Bench at Nagpnr in our own State, make it difficult for them to believe that their claim · for a Bench al~ne is liable to b~ ignored because of any SQch view of tqe Law Commission or the Jurists. This 'only goes to deepen the bitterness and sense of injustice that is prevalent · -! F · among thein."

It however became evident by the middle of June, 1981 that the Central Government would take time in reaching a decisio'n on the proposal for the estaf:>lishment of a permanent B.ench unde~ sub- s. (Z) of s. SI of the Act at Aurangabad as the question involved a G much larger issue, viz. the principles to be adopted and the criterion laid down for the establishment of ·permanent Benches of High Courts gen_erally. This meant that there would be inevitable delay in securing concurrence of the Central Government and the issuance .... of a Presidential Notification under sub-s. (2) of s. 51 of the A,ct. On H June 11, 1981, the State Government accordingly took a _Cabinet decision that pending the establishment of a permanent Bench under

MAHARASHTRA v. N.S. PURANIK (Sen, J.) 663

sub-s. (2) ofs. 51 of the Act at Aurangabad for the Maratbwadll. A region, resort be bad to the prov_isions of. sub-s. (3) thereof. On June 20, 1981· Secretary to the Government of Maharashtra, Law and Judiciary Department wrote to ·the Registrar stating that there was a possibility of the delay in securing concurrence of the Centra) Governn;ient and the issuance of a notification by the P~esident under sub-s. (2) of· s. 51 of the_ Act for the establishment of a B permanent Bench at Aurangabad and in order·. to tide over the difiiculty,.the· provisions of sub-s. (3) ofs. 51 of the Act may be· ~t'esorted to and he therefore requested the Chief Justice to favour the Government with his ~iews in the matter a!an early date. On 'July ;5, 1981, the Law Se~ietary waited on the 'Chief ,Justice in tliat connectioq. On July 7, 1981 the Chief Justice· wrote a letter to the. c : Chief Minister in which he stated' that the ~aw Secretary had conveyed to him the dedsion of· the State Government to have a :circuit B~Iich at Aurangabad under sub-s. (3) of s. 51 pending the ·decision of the Central Government to establish a permanent Bench there under sub-s. (2)'.of s. 51 of the Act: The ·Chief Justice then · D ·added : · • • '· ·- '~' . f I , I· · '

, '" "I agree that some such step is necess~ry i.n view of the·, " , preparations made . by the· G9vernment at huge costs and· ;_ ;.·} ·. - the mounting .. expectations .- of the people \ there." . .... , E - ·~ . ·Rest of the letter deals with the problem of finding re~idential " ~accom_modation for the Judges, staff, inc~ease ·in· strength of Judges etc. . , . . .., '],. "' . ' ,~ " , ' \!' i F ··on July 20, 1981, the Law· Secretary addressed a Jetter to the Registrar requesting him to .. forward, with the permission of the Chief ,Justice, proposal as 'is required under sub-s. (3). of s, 51 for the setting up of. a Bench at Aurangabad. · In reply to the same, the Registrar .by his letter dated July 24, 1981 conveyed that the Chief Just.ice agreed· with the suggestion of tbe State Government that G s. ·action had to be ·taken under sub-s: (3) of 51 of the Act fot which the approval of the Governor was 11ecessary and he enclosed a copy of the ,draft order °Which the Chief Justice proposed to issue under 0

sub-s. (3),- of s. 51 of the Act. On. August JO, 1981_; the Law Secretary ·Conveyed to the. Registrar the approval of.the Governor..On August , 2J,.,J981, the Chief Justice issued an order gnd~r s11b"s. (3) of~· 5! ~f \h.e Act to the effect ; .; r. ' ' .

SUPREME COURT REPoRTS [ t 983 I i s.c.il.

A "In exercise of the. powers conferred by suli-s. (3) of s. 51 of the State Reorganization Act, 1956 (No. 37 of 1956) and. all other powers enabling him in this behalf, the ... Hon'ble the Chief Justice, with the approval of the Governor . of Maharashtra, is pleased to appoint Aurangabad as a place at which the Hon'ble Judges and Division Courts of the 8 High cOurt 9f Judicature at Bombay may also sit." •

The Jiigh Court has set aside the impugned notification issued by the Chief Justice under sub-s. (3) of s. 51 of the Act on the following.grounds, namely: (I) The impugned order issued by the c ChiefJustice. under sub-s. (3) of s. 51 of the Act was not directly connec!ed with or related to p~oblems ·arising out of the reorganiza- tion of the States i.e. there is no nexus between ·the purpose and objects of the Act and ihe setting up of. Aurangabad 'as a venue for .additional seat of the High . Court, (2) .The provisions of the Act · and in par\icular of s. Si were not intended to be operative in- D definitely and they were meant to be exercised either immediately · or .within a reasonable time and therefore the exercise of the power by the Chief Justice under sub-s. (3) of s. 51 of the Act appointing. Aurangabad as a place where the Judges and Division Courts of the High ·court may also 'sit after a lapse of 26 years is constitutionally impermissible, (3) The State of Maharashtra was not a new State E within the meaning of s. 51 read with s. 2(1) of the Act after the • bifurcation of the billingual State' of Bombay into the State of Maharashtra and the newly constituted State of Gujarat under s. 3 of the Bombay Reorganization Act, 1960 and therefore the power of the President of India to esta~lish a permanent Bench or Benches of the High Court under sub-s. (2) of s. ·51 of the Act and that of the ~ F Chief Justice to appoint with the prior approvai of the Governor a place .or places where the Judges' and the Division Courts o( the High, Court ·may also sit under sub·s. (3) thereof, can no longer be exercised, (4) The power conferred on the Chief JustiCe under sub· s. (3) of s. 51 of the Act to appoint a place or places where t.he Judges or ihe Division' Courts of the High Court inay also sit, does •• G not include a power to establish a Bench or Benches at such places, and he had no power or authority ' under sub-s. (3) of s. 51 of the Act to issue administrative directions.for the filing or institution of proceedings at such a place and (5) The impugned notification issued by the Chief Justice nnder sub-s. (3) of s. 51 of the Act was a colour- . H able exercise·of°power and therefore liable to be struck down. We are afraid, the Hig4 ~Ollf! !!!Ii proceeded on wholly wrong premises,

MAHARASHt~A V. N.S. PullANIK (&n, /;) · 66S

·Section 51 of the Act provides as follows : A

! -\ "SI. Principal seat. and othe.r places of sitting of High Courts for new States.

(I) The principal seat of the High Court for a new, - • State shall ·be at such place as the President may, B by notifi~d order, appoint. , J • (2) The. President may, after consultation with the Governor of a n~w State and the Chief Justice of - ,. ' • - ' .> •

'r -the High Court for. that". State, by notified order, .. ·provide for the establis-hr'nent of a permanent bencl! , or benches of that ·Hight! Court at on~ or more c . . . ,_ '

placef within, the 1State other than. the prin.9ipal .seat of I - .the High Court and- 'for'· any . · matters .,,. connected ~ . " therewith. .

(3) No.iwithstanding _anything contained in, sub-. 0 section (I) or sub-section (2), the Judges and Division. Courts of the High Court for a new State.. may also sit at : s11ch other place or places in that State as the Chief Justice .may, with the approval. · . of the Governor, appo~nt." · • ~ - . {, . If Three questions arise . for consideration in th.is. appeal : (I) Whether the power. of the President under., sub-s. (Z) of s. SI o( ihe Act or that of the Chief Justice of the High Court under sut:>-s. (3) of s. SI of the Act, can no longer be exercised due to lapse of time'. (2), Whether the exercise of power . by the Chief Justice unde~ .sub: s, (3) of s. 51 of the Act appointing Aurangabad to be a place at which the. Judges and Division Courts . of the .High Court ~hall also sit is co-related to .the reorganization of the States, or .be bas no nexu' with the object and. purposes sought to be achieved by . the Act and is only a part of the· demand for decentralization of the administration justice in general. (3) Whether the power of the Chief s. Justice under ·sub-s. (3) of 51 of the Act does not inclu!le a· power to establish a Ben.ch or Benches at such place or places carving out territorial jurisdiction for such B~nchcs and authorising the filing or institution of proceedings at such places . •• .. It.. is diaicult to agree with the High Court that the High Court . pf !Jorn bay is.11ot the Hi~ Court of !I DQW State withi11 the meanin~

666· SUPREME COURT REPORTS (1983) I s.c.R.

A of sub·s. (I) of s. 49 of the Act, merely because the billingual State · of Bombay was bifurcated into two separate States of Maharashtra and Gujarat under s. 3 of the Bombay Reorganization Act, 1960. Nor do we see any valid basis for tbe view taken by the High Court that the power of the President to establish a permanent Bencff or Benches of the High Court under sub-s. (2) of s. 51 of B the Act or that of the Chief Justice to appoint, with the approval of the Governor, a place or places where the Judges and Division Courts may also sit under .sub-s. (3) of s. Sf of the Act, can no .... longer be exercised, in relation to the High Couri of Bombay. It was right by not disputed before us that the High Court 'of Bombay was the High Court for the new State of Bombay ., c within' 'the meaning of sub·s. (1) of s. 49 of the Act and therefore the provisions of s.' 51 of the Act ar~ still applicable. That must be so because the High Court of Bombay owes its principal seat at Bombay to the Presidentiai Order issued under sub-s. (1) of s. 51 of the Act. ·The expression "new State" occurring in sub•s .. (I) of s. 49 of the Act is defined in s. 2(i) to D. mea.n "a State formed under the provisions of Part II". The State of Boinbay was a new State formed under s. 8 of the Act, which occurs in Part II. The Bombay· Reorganization Act, 1960 (Act No. XI of 196Ql which reconstituted the. erstwhile State of Bombay into the State of Maharashtra and the State of Gujarat provides, inter a/ia, by sub-s. (I) of s. 28 that, as from the appointed' day, i.e. May I, 1960, there shall be a separate High Court for the State ·of Gujarat and that the High Court of Bombay shall become the High Court for the State of Maharashtra. Sub-s. (2) of s. 28 Cif that Act provides that the principal seat of the Gujarat High Court shall be . at such place as the President may, by notified order, appoint~ It iS F rather significant that the Bombay Reorganization Act, 1960 contains no similar provision with regard to the principal seat of the High Court of Bombay. · That being so, the .continued existence of the principal seat of the Bombay High Court at Bombay is still governed by sub-s. (!) of s. 51 of the Act. This conclusion of ours is reinforced by the opening words of s. 41 of that Act which provides for the G setting up of a permanent bench of the Bombay High Court at Nagpur, and it reads : ·

"41. Permanent Bench of Bombay High Court at H Nagpur-Without prejudice to the provisions of s. 51 of the States Reorganizatio,n Act, 1956, such Judges of the Hil)h Co11rt 11t ~mbay, bein~ ,11ot Jess than three in

MAHARASHTRA v. N.S. PURANIK (Sen, J.) 667

number, as the Chief Justice· may from time to time A ..J nominate, shall sit at Nagpur in order to exercise the juris- diction and power for the time being vested in that High Court in respect of cases arising in the districts of Buldana, Akola\ Amravati, Yeotmal, Wardha, Nagpur, Bhandara, Chanda and Rajpura : B Provided that the Chi~f Justice may, in his dis- cretion, order that any case arising in any such districts shall be heard at Bombay."

The'legislative intent is clear· and explicit by the ~se of the c words "Without prejudice to the provisions of s. 51 of the States Reorganization Act, 1956". The legislature pre-supposed the conti· nued existence of s. 51 of the Act in ·relation to ·the High Court of Bombay. That shows that while enacting s.41 of the Act, Parliament retained the power of the President of India both under sub-s. (I) D and sub-s. (2) of s.51 of the A<;t and that of the Chief Justice under -I sub-s. (3) thereof. If there is continued .existence of sub·s. (I). of ' s.51 of the Act in relation-to the principal seat of the High Court for a new State, a fortiori, there is, to an equal degree, the continued, existence of the provisions contained in sub-ss. (2) and (3) of s. SI of the Act. Tbis is also clear from the provisions of s. 69 ·_of the E Act which in terms provides. that Part V which contains s. 51 of the Act shall have effect subject to any provision that may be made, on or after the appointed day with respect to the High Court of a new State, by the Legislature or any-other authority having power to make such provision. ~- F -'~. _ · Nor can we subscribe to the proposition that the power of, the . ~esident under sub-s. (2) of s. 51 of the Act, or that of the Chief .; (~ Jtistice of the High Court of a new Stat<: under sub·s. (3) of that section, can no longer be exercised due to lapse of time. The High Court is of the view that the provisions of the Act and in. particular G. of s. 51 were meant to be exercised either immediately or within a · reasonable tiine of the reorganization of the States and therefore the exercise of the power by the. Chief Jus#ce under sub-s. (3) of. s. 51 of the Act appointing Aurangabad as a place where the Judges and -i Division ·courts of the High Court may also sit, after a lapse . of 26 ·years, is· constitutionally impermissible. Any other view, according· H to the High Court, is bound to ·give rise to a ~ery anamolous situation as in nine out of sixteen States not' affected by the Act,

668 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1983] I s.c.•.

A the creation of a pcrmantent Bench of a High Court must be by an Act of Parliament while in seven new States formed under the Act, the same could be achieved by a Presidential Notification under sub·s. (2) of s. 51 of the Act. Furthermore, in States where .the High Courts were established by Letters Patent, the powers conferred· on the Chief Justices of the High Courts qua sittings of single Judges B and Division Courts can be exercised only with legislative sanction whereas under subs. (3) of s. 51 it can be d9ne by the Chief Justice \_

of the High Court for a .new State, with the approval of the Governor of that State. Such a construction of the provisions of s. 51 o( the ' Act would, according to the High Court, result in creating discrimi- . nation between the States. The reasoning of the High Court that '

c the Act being of a transitory nature, the exercise of the power of the President under sub-s. (2) of s. SI of the Act, or of the Chief ~· Justice under sub-s. (3) thereof, after, a lapse of 26 years, would be a complete nullity, does not impress us at all. The provisions - of sub-ss. (2) and (3) of s. 51 of the Act are supplemental or incidental to' the provisions made by Parliament under Arts. 3 and 4 of the D Constitution. Art. 3 of the Constitution enables Parliament to make a law for the formation of a new State. The Act is a law under Art. ·3 for the reorganization of the States. Art. 4 of the Constitu- tion provides that the law n,ferred to in Art. 3 may contain ... such supplemental, incidental and consequential provisions as Parliament ' may deem necessary". Onder the scheme _of the Act, these powers con.tinue to exist by reason of Part V of the Act unless Parliament by law otherwise directs. The power of the President under sub-s. (2) of s. 51 of the Act, a11d that of the Chief Justice of ,the High Court under sub'-s. (3) thenl'of are ~intended and meant to be exercised from time to time as occasion arises, as there is no intention to the contrary manifested in the Act within the meaning of s. 14 of the General Clauses Act. The High Court has assumed that the ~ provisions of sub-ss. (2) and (3) of s. 51 of the Act have 'ebbed our~/ by lapse of time. This assumption is plainly contrary to the • . . meaning and effect of I. 69 of the Act which in term• provides that Part V which contains s. 51 of the Act, shall have effect subject to any provision that may be made on or after the appointed day with rcapcct to the High Court of any State, by the Legislature or any ether authority having power to make such provision.

It is a matter of common knowledge that Parliament considered it necessary to reorganize the existing States in India and to provide for it and other matters connected therewith and with that end ia view, the States Reorganization Act, 1956 was enacted, As a result

MAHARASHTRA V, N.S. PURANIK. (Sen, J.) 669

of reorganization, boundaries of various States changed. Some of the States merged into other States in its entirety, while some States got split and certain parts thereof inerged into one State and other parts into another. These provisions were bound to give rise, and did give rise, to various •complex problems. These problems are bound to arise from time to time. The Act is a permanent piece of legislation on the Staiute Book. Section 14 of the Ge~eral CJaµses B Act, 1897 provides that, where, by ·any Central Act or Regulation, ·any power is conferred, then unless a different· intention appears, that power may be exercised from time to time as occasion arises. The. Section embodies a uniform rule of construction. That the power may be exercised from time to . time when occasion arises unless a· contrary intention appears is therefore well settled. c A statute can be abrogated only by express or implied reheal. It cannot fall into desuetude or become inoperative through obsole- . scence or by lapse of time. In R. · v. London County Council('), Scrutton L.J. put the matter thus : ·

•·the doctrine that, because a certain number of.people · do not like an Act and because a good many people disobey it, the Act is therefore ''obsolescent" and no one need pay anya,ttentiOn to, it is a very dangerous proposition to hold in any constitutional country .. So Jong as al) Act is on the statutebook, the way to get·rid of it is to repeal or alter it in Parliament, not for subordinate bodies, who are bound E • to ·obey the law, to take upon themselves to disobey an Act of Parliament.';

As to the theory of desuetude, Allen. in his 'Law in the Making, 5th edn. p. 454 observes : F "Age 'cannot wither an Act. of Parliament; and at no time, so far as I am aware, has fr ever been admitted in our jurisprudetic;that a statute might become inoperative through obsolescence.". ·

· The learned author mentions that th'ere was at one time· a G theory which, in the name of 'non-obse.rvance' came very near to the doctrine of Desuetude, that ifa statute had been .in existence for any considerable period without ever being put into 9peration it may be of little or no effect. The ruje · concerqiQ¥ demetude has -

(I) LR. pm) 2 K.B. 21~,

670 SUPREME COURT REPOR1S 11983)1 s.c.R.

A always met with such general disfavour that it seems hardly profit- able to discuss it further. It cannot be said that sub·s. (2) or (3) of s. 51 of the Act can be regarded as obsolescent.· The opening words of s. 41 ·of the Bombay Reorganization Act, 1960 manifest a clear legislative intention io preserve the cootinued existence of the provisions contained in s. 51 of the Act. It was as recent as December B. 8, J 976 that the President issued a notification under sub-s. (2) of s. 51 of the Act for the establishment of a permanent Bench of the L Rajastban High Court at Jaipur. The High Court is therefore noi right in observing that the provisions of s. 51 of the Act were not intended to be operative indefinitely and they were meant· to be exercised either immediately or within a reasonable time, or that c the powers of the President or the Chief Justice thereunder can no longer be exercised in relation to the High Court of Bombay. The conclusion reached by the High Court that the impugned notification issued by the Chief Justice under sub·s. (3) of s. 51 of the D Act was not directly connected with the reorganization of the States, or had no nexus with the· objects and purposes sought to be achieved by the Act but was only as part of the demand for decentralization ,t of the administration of justice in general, can only be justified as a necessary corollary flowing from its views expressed on other aspects of the matter. The creation of_ 14 new States by Part II of the Act based on a linguistic basis virtually led to the. re-drawing of the political map of India as a whole. Even after the reorganizatioe of the States in 1956.• the political map of India continued to change owing to the growing pressure of political considerations and circums.tances. The formation of the linguistic State · of ·Born bay constituted under s, 8 of the Act · became the source of struggle between the Gujarati and Marathi-speaking people as a result of which the State of Bombay was further bifurcated in 1960 These political changes necessarily affected the constitution and structure of the High Court. Under the Constitution, Parlianment alone has the legislative competence to make a law relating to the subject under Entry 78 of List I of the Seventh Schedule which reads :

"78. Constitution and organisation (including vacations) of the High ·Courts except provisions as to officers and servants of High Courts : persons entitled to practise before the High Courts: Under the schem' of the Act, it would appear that having <:onstituted a High Court f<:>r the qew ~tale of Bombay under sub-s.

MAHARA'HTRA v. N.S. PURANIK (Sen, J.) 671

(I) ~f s. 49 of the Act and oonferred jurisdiction on it under s. 52 in relation to the territories of the new State, Parliament left it to the various high Constitutional functionaries designated in the three · sub-sections of s. 51 of the Act to -determine the place where the principal seat of the High Court should be located and plllC!lS where permanent Bench or Benches of the High Court may· be estabfahed or where the Judges and Division Courts of the High Court may also B ·sit. on the reorganization of the Siates as from the appoint day, i.e. November 1, 1956, the territories of the new State· of Bombay formed under s. 8 of the Act and with it the jurisdiction of the High Court was considerably extended. The merger of ihe new territories - ' ' of the Vidarbha region of the former State of Madhya Pradllsh and the Marathwada region of the erstwhile State of Hyderabad· together with the Saurasbtra region of the. newly constituted State of Gujarat was an additional source of strength of tbe High Court It became necessary for the more convenient transaction of judicial business to establish, as from the appointed day, two' Benches of the~High,Court at Nagpur and Rajkot to deal with matters arising from Vidarbha D and Saurasbtra regions respectively. The formation of the separate State of Gujarat in .1960 under s. 3 of the Bombay ,., Reorganization . .· Act, 1960 resulted in severance of ties not only with the Saurashtra region but also with the Gujarat districts over which the High Court bad exercised jurisdiction for about' a century. The High Court of· Bombay therefore underwent a major transformation in 1~56 when the" E bilingual State of Bombay was formed under s. 8 of the Act and then again in 1960 when with the formation of a separate St~te of Gujarat under s. 3 of the Bombay Reorganization Act, the residuary .State of Bombay was to be know'n as 'the State of Maharashtra. Nagpur_ which ceased to be the seat of the.High Court of the new State of Madhya Pradesh, was given"a Bench by an order issued by the then F Chief Justice of th~ High Court under sub-s. (3) of s..51 ·of the Act. · e arrangement was made permanent by· s. 41 of that Act which c vided for the establishment of a. permanent Bench at Nagpur to· I with cases,arising out of the Vidarbha region. It was a solemn .assurance given to the .people of· the Marathwada region of the erstwhile State of Hyderabad by cl. (7) of the Nagpur Pact that the provision with regard to the establishment of a permanent Bench at' Nagpur shall also apply mutalis mutandis to the Marathwada region.

I There has· been a long-standing demand ever ~ince the formation of the bilingual State of Bombay under s. 8 of the Act- for the ~stablisbment of a permanent Banch of the .Bombay High. Court at

672 SUPRBMB COURT RBPORTS [1983) I s.c.R. A Aurangabad under sub-s. (2) of s. 51 of the Act for the disposal of cases arising out of the Marathwada region of the State of Maharashtra and the matter is still under the active consideration of the Central Government. Pending the decision of the Central Government regarding the establishment of a permanent Bench of the High Court under sub-s. (2) of s. '51 of the Act at Aurangabad for 8 the Marathwada region, the Chief Justice of the Bombay High.Court issued the impugned order for the establishment of a Bench at Aurangabad· with effect from August 21, 1981.

The only other point to be considered, and this was the point principally stressed in this appeal, is whether the power conferred on c the Chief Justice under sub-s. (3) of s. 51 of the Act to appoint a place or places where the Judges and Division Courts may also sit, docs not include a power to establish a Bench or Benches at such place or places, nor that he ·bad any power or authority thereunder to issue administrative directions for the filing or institution of proceedings at such a place. There is quite some discussion in the D judgment of the High Court on the distinction between the "sittings" of the Judges and Division Courts and the "seat" of the High Court and after going into the history of the constitution of the various High Courts in India and the Letters Patent constituting such High Courts, the High Court holds that the exercise of the power by the E Chief Justice under sub-s. (3) of s. 51 of the Act is bad in law as it brings about.a-territorial bifurcation of the High Court. According to the Higli Court, the Judges and Division Courts at Aurangabad were competent to hear and decide cases arising out of the districts of the Marathwada region assigned to them by the Chief Justice, but the Chief Justice had no power or authority under sub s. -(3) of F s. 51 of the Act to issue administrative directions for the filing or institution of proceedings at such a place. The judgment of the High Court mainly rests on the decijion of the Kerala High Court in/"~/ Manickam Pillai Subbayya Pillai v. Assistant Registrar, High Cour't ~ Kera/a, Trivandrum(') and the minority view of Raina, J. in Abdul Taiyab Abbasbhai Malik & Ors. v. The Union of India & Ors.,(') G following the Kerala view.

It is not necessary for our purposes to go into the distinction sought to be drawn between the "sittings" of the. Judges and Division Courts at a place and the "seat" of tlw High Court. It is H (I) A.I.R. 1958 Kerala 188. (2) A.J 1R. 1977 M.P•.116,

MAHARASHTRA •. N.S. PURANIK {Sen, J.) 673 •

difficult to comprehend how the Chief Justice can arrange for the A sittings of the Judges and Division Courts at a particular place unless there is a seat at that place; It may be true in the juristic sense that the seat oft.he High Court must mean "the principal seat of such High Court," i.e. the place where the High Court is compete11t to transact every kind of business from any part of the territories within its jurisdiction. It is impossible to conceive of a High Court without a B seat being assigned to it. The place where it would sit to administer justice cir, in ofher words, where i.ts jurisdiction can be invoked is an essential and indispensable feature of the legal institution; known .as a Court. Where there is only one seat of the High Court, it must necessarily have all the attributes of the principal seat. But where the High Court has mote than one seat, one of them may or c may not be the principal seat ·according to the legislative scheme. It is both sound reason and commonsense to .say that the High Court of Bombay is located at its principal seat at Bombay; but it also bas a seat at the permanent Bench at Nagpur. When the Chief Justice makes an ardor in terms of sub-s. (3) of s. 51 of the Act that D Judges and Division Courts of the High Court shall also sit at such other places, the High Court in the genetic sense bas also a seat 1 at such other places. We may drew some analogy from the plovisions of Art. 130 of the Constitution which reads :

· "130. 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,"

It is necessary to emphasize that besides · administering justice, F· • the High Court bas the administrative control over the subordinate judiciary in a State. The High Court must necessarily carry. on its ~ administrative functions from the principal seat, i.e, the place where ~e High Court transacts every Kind of business in all its capacities. The High Court as such is l0cated ther~. but it may have more. thaii -0ne seat for transaction of judicial business. The constitution and · structure of the High Court depends on the ·statute creating it.· G The decision in Nasiruddin v. State Transport Appellate Tribunal(') is not directly in point ·as it turned on the construction of the provisions of the U.P. High Courts (Amalgamation) order, 1948, It is however an authority f<?~ the proposition that after the . ' ' ' ' JJ u> [i976J 1 s.c.R. sos.

674 . SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1983]_ I s.c.R.

A amalgamation of the High Court of Allahabad and the Chief Court of Oudh, the two High Courts ceased to exist and became Benches of the newly constituted High Court by the name of the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad. ·Further, the Court held that a case "instituted" at a particular Bench baa to be "heard" at that Bench. It recognized that there can be two seats of the High Court without a principal seat.

It must here be mentioned that provisions similar to sub-s.(3) of s. 51 of the Act existed in almost all the Letters Patent. or the Acts under which the various High Courts have been constituted. While introducing the Bill of 1861 in the British Parliament for the c establishment of the High Courts for. the B~ngal Division of the Presidency of Fort William and ·also at Madras and Bombay, Sir Charles Wood, Secretary of State for India, laid stress on . lbe advantage of the Judges of the new Courts going on circuit to try criminal cases. He said :

D · "Now according to the prov!Slons of this Bill, the " Judges of the Supreme Court may. be sent .on circuit tlrroughout the country, ..... It may be impossible in a country like India to bring justice to every man's door, but at all events the system now proposed will bring it. far • nearer than at present." E When we examine the constitution of the various High Courts in India, one)hing is clear that ·whenever a High Court was established by Letters patent under s. I of the Indian High Courts Act, 1861 called the Charter Act, or under s. 113 of the Government of India • Act, 1935, the High Court was created and established at a particular place mentioned in the Letters Patent. S. 1 of the. Charter Act provided that it shall be lawful for Her Majesty, by I;etters Pateµ! /_,., under the great seal of the United Kingdom, to erect and establish__,. a High Court of Judicature at Fort William at Bengal for ·the Bengal . Division of the Presidency of the Fort William, and by like Letters G Patent, to erect and establish like High Courts at Madras and B·ombay for these Presidencies respectively. In pursuance of these provisions by Letters Patent issued by Het Majesty in '1862, the. Chartered High Courts of Calcutta, Madras and Bombay were established. In virtue of the powers conferred by s; 16 ·of the Act H the Crown by Letters Patent established in 1866 at Agra a High Court of Judicature for North· Western Provinces for the Presidency pf Fort William~ to be 9alled a High Court of Judicature for Nortl\

MAHARASHTRA v. N.S. PURANIK (Sen,,J)

Western Provinces. The seat of the High Court for the North A Western Provinces was shifted from Agra to Allahabad in 1869 and its designation was altered to the High .court of Judicature at Allahabad by .Supplementary Letters Patent issued in 1919 in pursuance of s. 101 (5) of the Government of India Act, 1915. The expression "erect and establislf" in relation to a High Court meant nothing more than to indicate the establishment of the High Court D j at a particular place where the High Court was competent to transact every kind of business arising .frolll any part of _the territory within its jurisdiction.. '-

Cl. .3 I of the Letters Patent for the ·High Cou.tt of Calcutta'._ provides for "exercise of jurisdiction elsewhere than at the ordinary place of sittlng of the HiJlh Court':' and it reads as follows :

"And we do further ordain that whenever· it shall " appear to the Governor General in Council convenient. that• • the jurisdiction and power by these our Letters . Patent, or by the recited Act,· vested in the said High Court of ' D Judicature at Fort William in Bengal, should be exercised in an"' place within the -jurisdiction of any Court now · subject to the superintendence of. the said High Court, other than the usual place of sitting of the said Hjgh Court, . or at several such places by way of circuit, the proceedings in cases before the said High Court at such place or .·.l:t places shall be-regulated by any law relating thereto which has been or may be made by competent legislative ' authority for India;"

· The Letters Patent for the High Courts of Madras and Bombay are F ~mutatis mutandis in ·almo'st the same terms. Cl. 31 of 'these Letters ,,. ·Patent similarly provided for "exercis~ of jurisdiction elsewhere than ' · at the ordinary place of sitting of the High Court."· it would·. appe_;ir therefrom that tb,e power to direct that the High Court shall sit at a place or places ·other than the usual place of sitting of. these High Courts was a power of the Governor•General in Council, and the proceedings in cases before the said High Courts at .such · pface or places were to be regulated .by any law relating thereto which had been or might be made by competent legisfative authority for India.

H It is clear upon the-terms of s. 51 of the Act that undoubtedly the President has the power under sub-s. (I) to appoint the principal ·.

676 - SUPIU!MB COURT RBPORTS [1983] .I s.C.R.

seat of the High Court for a new State. Likewise, the power of the Presidellt under sub·s. (2) thereof, after consultation with the Governor of a new State and the Chief Justice of the High Court for that State, pertains to the establishment of a permanent Bench or Benches of that High Court of a new State at one or more places within the State other than the place where the principal seat of the B High Court is located and for any matters connected therewith clearly confer power on the President to define the territorial jurisdiction of the permanent Bench in relation to the principal seat as also for the conferment of exclusive jurisdictio~ to such permanent Bench to hear cases arising in districts falling within its jurisdiction. The creation of a permanent Bench under sub-s. (2) ~ c of s. 51 of the Act must therefore bring about a territorial bifurcation of the High Court. Under sub·s. (I) and sub·s. · (2) of · s. S l of the Act the President has to act on the advice of the Council of Ministers as ordained by Art. 74 (I) of the Constitution. In both the matters the decision lies with the Central Government. In contrast, the power of the Chief Justice to appoint under sub-s. D (3) of s. 51 of the Act the sittings of the Judges and Division. Courts of the High Court for a new State a( places other than ·the place of th.e principal seat or the permanent Bench is in the unquestioned domain of the Chief Justice, the only condition being that. he must act with the approval of the Governor. It is basically an internal matter p~rtaiiling to the High Court. He bas full power, authority and jurisdiction in the matter of allocation. of business of the High Court which flows not only from the provision contained in sub·s. (3) of s. 51 of the Act but. inheres in him in the very nature of things. The opinion of the Chief Justice to appoint the seat of the High Court for a new State at a place other than the principal seat under sub-s. (3) of s. 51 of the Act must therefore normally prevail because it is for the more convenient transaction of judicial ..-<"'I business. The non obstante clause contained in sub·s. (3) of s. SI_,_-· 1 gives an overriding effect to the power of the Chief Justice. There • is no territorial bifurcation of the High Court merely because the Chief Justice directs under sub·s. (3) of s. 51 of· the Act that the Judges and Division Courts shall also sit at such other places as be may, with the approval of the Governor, appoint. It must accordingly be held that there was· no territorial bifurcation· of the Bombay High Court merely because the Chief Justice by the impugned notification issued tinder sub-s. (3) of s. 51 of the Act . directed that the Judges and Division Courts shall also sit at ~I Aurangabad. The Judges and Division Courts at Aurangabad are

MAHARASHTAA v. N.S. l>URANIK (Sen. J.) . 677 part of the same High Court as those at the principal seat at~ A Bombay and they exercise jurisdiction as Judges_of the High Court of Bombay at Aurangabad. The Chief Justice acted within the scope of his powers. We see no substance in the -charge that the impugned notification issued by the Chief JustiCe under sub-s. (3) of s. 51 of the Act was a colourable exercise of power. ) B As to the scope and effect of sub-s. (3) of s. 51 of the Act, the question came np for consideration before .Chagla, C. J. and Badkas, J/ in Seth Manji Dana v. Commissioner of Income-tax, Bombay & Ors.(') decided on July 22, 1958. This was an application by which the validity of r. 254 of the Appellate Side Rules was challenged insofar as it provided that all income-tax references presented at :t:-fagpur should be heard at the principal seat of the c High Court at Bombay, and the contention was that the result of this rule, was that it excludeu income-tax references from the jurisdiction of the High Court functioning at Nagpur. In repelling the contention, Chagla, C. J; observed : D "Legally, the position is quite clear, under section 51 (3) of the State Reorganization Act, the Judges sitting at Nagpur constitute a part of the High Court of Bombay. They are as much a part of the High Court of Bombay, and if we might say so distinguished part of the High Court of Bombay, as if they were sitting under the same roof E under which Judges function in Bombay. All that happ~ns is that the Chief Justice, under the powers given to him under the Letters Patent distributes the work to various Judges and various Divisional Bencbils, and acting under that power be distribut,es certain work to the Judges sitting at Nagpur." F He then continued :

"All that rule 254 does is to permit as a matter of convenience certain matters to be presented· at Nagpur to the Deputy Registrar. If rµle 254 had not been .enacted, G ·all matters would have ·to be presented at Bombay and then the Chief Justice would have distributed those matters to different Judges, whether sitting in Bombay or at Nagpur. It is out of regard and consideration for the H (I) Civil Appeal No. 995 of 1957,

678 Sl'.IPRBMB COORt RBPOii. TS fl983j I s.c.ll. A ' people of Vidarbha and for their convenience . that this 1

rule is enacted, so that litigants should not be put to the inconvenience ·of going to Bombay to present certain matters. Therefore, this particular rule has nothing whatever to do either with section 51 (3) of the States Reorganisation Act or with the Constitution." B

With regard to r. 254, he went on to say

"Now, having dispqsed of the legal aspect of the matter, c we turn to the practical aspect, and let us consider whether this rule inconveniences the people at Nagpur. If it does, it would certain call for an amendment of that role. Now, . there is particular reason why all Income Tax References should be heard in Bombay and that reason is this. The High Court of Bombay for many years, rightly or wrongly, has followed a particular policy with regard to Income Tax References and that policy is that the same Bench should hear Income Tax References, so that there should be a continuity with regard to the· decisions given on these References. I know that other High Courts have referred to this policy with praise because they have realised that the result of this policy bas been th.at Income Tax Law has been laid down in a manner which has received commendation from various sources. The other reason is and we hope we are not mistaken in saying so that the number of Income Tax References from Nagpur are very few. If the number was large, undoubtedly a very strong case would be made out for these cases to be heard ,at Nagpur.'' '

He then concluded :

G "After all, Courts exist for the convenience of the litigants and not in order to maintain any particular system of law or any particular system of administration. Whenever a Court finds that a particular rule does not serve the convenience . of litigants, the Court should be always H prepared to change the rule.''

. MAHARASHTRA v. N.S. PURANIK (Sen, J.) 679 • The ratio to be deduced: from the decision 'of Chagla, C. J. A is that the Judges and Division Courts sitting at Nagpur were functioning as if they were the Judges and Division Courts of the High Court at Bombay ..

In Maitickam Pillai's case (supra), the Kerala High Court held that the curtailment of the territorial jurisdiction of the main seat of the High Co\lrt of a new State is a necessary concomitant to the establishment of a perma'nent Bench under sllb·s. (2) of s. 51 of the Act whikcontrasting sub-s. (3) with sub.-s. (2). There, a question • arose whether the temporary Bench of the High Court of .. Kerala with its principal seat at Ernakulam created by the Chief -Justice c at Trivandrum by an order issued under sub s. (3) of s. 51 of the . Act was not the High Court of Kerala, and the Judges and Division Courts sitting at Trivandrum were precisely in the same position as Judges and Division Courts sitting in the several court-rooms of the High · Court at its principal seat in Ernakulam. In other words, the- contention was that· the· Judges and Division Courts sitting at Trivandrum could only hear arid dispose of such cases as were directed to be posted before them by the Chief Justice ·but no new case could be instituted there. Raman Nayar, J. (as he then was) speaking for the.Court held that the Trivandrum Bench was ·not the High Court of Keiala and the Judges and Division Courts sitting at Trivandrum could hear and dispose of only such cases E as may be assigned to them. With respect, we are of the_ opinion that the view ex~ressed by Chagla, C. J. in Manji Dana's case, (supra), is to be preferred. Chagla, C. J. rightly observes that the Judges and Division Courts at a temporary Bench established under sub-s. (3) 9f s: 51 of the Act function as Judges and Divisio? .e Courts of the High Court -at the ·principal seat, and while so ' sitting at such a temporary. Bench they may exercise the jurisdiction ·~- and power of the High Court itself in relation to all the ~atters ·entrusted to them.

_In the result, the appeal must succeed and is allowed. The .. judgment and order passed by the High Court is set aside and the writ G petition flied by respondent No. I is dismissed. In terms of the order. passed by, us on May 4, 1982, we direct that in accordance with the notification issued by the Chief Justice of the High Court of Born bay dated August 27, 1981, the sittings of 'the Judge_s and H Division Courts may be held and continue to be held at Aurangabad l"ith full and normal powers to entertain and dispose of all matter~

680 SUPREME COURT REPORTS (1983) l s.C.lt.

A arising out of th·e Marathwada region, that is to say, the area compnsmg the districts of Aurangabad, Bhir, Jalna, Nanded, Osmanabad and. Parbaili. All cases pertaining to that region and pending as on May 4, 1982 at the main seat of the High Court at Bombay shall be dealt with and disposed of as the Chief Justice of the High Court may direct. consistently with the terms of the B .aforesaid notification dated August 27, 1981. -~ There shall be no order as to costs .

• H. L. C. Appeal dismissed.