Master of the roster
Topic: Judiciary: Independence, Structure, Judicial Review and Activism · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The master of the roster is the Chief Justice of India (CJI) in their role of deciding which judges sit together on a bench (a group of judges hearing a case) and which bench hears which case. This is an administrative power, and it shapes which judges decide important cases. Because of this, how it is used has become a question of fairness and openness.
Example
On 12 January 2018, four senior Supreme Court judges held a press conference questioning how cases were being allocated. Later in 2018, the Court upheld the CJI's power in Asok Pande (April) and Shanti Bhushan (July). Rosters are now published.
Related concepts
- Judicial accountability
- Subhash Chandra Agarwal case
- Sealed cover jurisprudence
- Live-streaming of court proceedings
- Recusal