The Supreme Court of India is the country’s apex court and the final place for an appeal. Its judgments are binding on all other courts, and it serves as the final interpreter of the Constitution.
The Supreme Court came into existence on 26 January 1950, the day the Constitution came into force. The first Chief Justice of the Supreme court was Justice H.J. Kania. Consisting of the Chief Justice of India and 30 other judges, it has extensive powers in the form of original, appellate and advisory jurisdictions. As the final court of appeal, the Supreme Court takes up appeals primarily against verdicts of the high courts of various states of the Union and other courts and tribunals. It safeguards fundamental rights of citizens and settles disputes between various governments in the country.
The SC cannot “interpret the Constitution” to pose restrictions on the President of India. The CJI has neither the authority nor the Constitutional imprimatur to pass diktats on the functioning of the President.
The Supreme Court must course correct. Otherwise, the Legislature and the Executive would be forced to clip it’s wings.
The words need not trigger a panic attack, true, but where they are coming from needs to be meticulously analysed. Do they reflect an underlying stress in the official relationship.
Isn’t all executive action subject to judicial review. And isn’t honourable President bound by the advice tendered by the Cabinet, effectively the political executive. Does the Constitution carve out privileged spaces for holders of high constitutional office, beyond immunity from prosecution.