2001 JTR(SC) 1635
2002 AIR(SC) 296 ; 2001 AIR(SCW) 5016 ; 2002 48 AllLR 518 ; 2002 1 BBCJ(SC) 161 ; 2002 1 CHN(SC) 117 ; 2002 111 CompCas 299 ; 2002 1 CompLJ 201 ; 2002 1 CTC 190 ; 2002 174 CTR 580 ; 2002 1 EastCrC(SC) 316 ; 2002 144 ELT 7 ; 2002 101 FJR 47 ; 2002 1 ICC 40 ; 2002 254 ITR 99 ; 2001 10 JT 347 ; 2002 1 KLT(SN) 29 ; 2002 1 PLJR(SC) 265 ; 2002 1 RCR(Civ) 551 ; 2002 1 RSJ 630 ; 2001 8 Scale 384 ; 2002 1 SCC 1 ; 2001 SCR 460 ; 2002 122 Taxman 101 ; 2002 1 WBLR 145 ; 2002 KHC 231 ; 2001 8 Supreme 548
2001(8) Supreme 548
SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
(From Orissa Administrative Tribunal, Bhubaneswar)
Chief Justice of India and Syed Shah Mohammed Quadri, Umesh C. Banerjee, S.N. Variava, Shivaraj V. Patil, JJ.
Pradip Chandra Parija & Ors. -Appellants
versus
Pramod Chandra Patnaik & Ors. -Respondents
Civil Appeal No. 791 of 1993
With
W.P. (C) No. 611 of 1992
Decided on 4-12-2001
Counsel for the Parties :
For the Appearing Parties : Soli J. Sorabjee, Attorney General, Sudhir Chandra, Senior Advocate, Parmanand Gaur, Dipankar P. Gupta, Suchit Mohanty, Abhisth Kumar, Abhijit Sengupta, Vinoo Bhagat, Achintya Dvivedi, Ms. Manish Singhvi, Ms. Kirti Mishra, Raj Kumar Mehta, Ms. M. Sarada and Abhishek Awasti, Advocates.
IMPORTANT POINT
Two learned judges of Supreme Court cannot disagree with a judgment of three Judges of Supreme Court and, for that reason, they cannot refer the matter before them directly to a Bench of five Judges. At the most, the Bench of two learned Judges could have ordered that the matter be heard by a Bench of three learned Judges.
Act
Referred
:CIVIL PROCEDURE CODE : O.7 R.1, O.7 R.2
CONSTITUTION OF INDIA : Art.141, Art.145, Art.145(3)
SUPREME COURT RULES : O.7 R.2, O.7 R.1
(A) The referral arises under the Civil Procedure Code Order VII Rule 1 and Rule 2, read with Supreme Court Rules Order 7 Rule 1 and Order 7 Rule 2, alongside Constitution of India Articles 141, 145(2), and 145(3). Article 145(3) mandates that interpreting the Constitution requires a Bench of at least five Judges, while Article 145(2) empowers rules fixing the minimum number of Judges, and Order VII Rule 1 generally requires Benches of not less than two Judges. The referral order of the two-Judge Bench invoked direct reference to a Constitution Bench, invoking exceptional scenarios contemplated by the larger Bench in subsequent proceedings.
(B) A Bench of two Judges must follow a decision of a Bench of three Judges and may not overrule it; only if a two-Judge Bench concludes the earlier three-Judge judgment is so incorrect that it cannot be followed may it refer the matter to a three-Judge Bench for reconsideration. Only when clause (3) of Article 145 is attracted may a matter be directly referred by a two-Judge Bench to a Constitution Bench. Judicial discipline and propriety demand hierarchical adherence, with binding precedents from larger Benches binding smaller Benches.
Facts of the case:
A prior two-Judge Bench order had differed from a three-Judge Bench judgment in Nityananda Kar vs State of Orissa. The two-Judge Bench listed four reasons for disagreement and directed the matter be placed before a five-Judge Bench. The case was accordingly brought before this Court for determination of the correct procedure.
Findings of Court:
A Bench of two Judges cannot disagree with and directly refer a matter to a five-Judge Bench after a contrary three-Judge decision; the correct path is to refer to a three-Judge Bench. Only when provisions of Article 145(3) are engaged may a two-Judge Bench directly approach a Constitution Bench. The present matter lacked such justification and could only be referred to a Bench of three learned Judges.
Issues:
Whether two learned Judges can disagree with a three-Judge Bench judgment and refer the matter directly to a five-Judge Bench; whether direct reference to a Constitution Bench is permissible in the present facts.
Ratio Decidendi:
Judicial hierarchy binds smaller Benches to follow larger ones except in exceptional circumstances under Article 145(3); a two-Judge Bench must first seek reconsideration by a three-Judge Bench before escalation, and may bypass that step only when constitutional interpretation requiring a five-Judge Bench is plainly attracted.
Result:
The matter is ordered to be placed before a Bench of three learned Judges, to be constituted in January 2002, setting aside the attempted direct reference to a five-Judge Bench.
(A) The referral arises under the Civil Procedure Code Order VII Rule 1 and Rule 2, read with Supreme Court Rules Order 7 Rule 1 and Order 7 Rule 2, alongside Constitution of India Articles 141, 145(2), and 145(3). Article 145(3) mandates that interpreting the Constitution requires a Bench of at least five Judges, while Article 145(2) empowers rules fixing the minimum number of Judges, and Order VII Rule 1 generally requires Benches of not less than two Judges. The referral order of the two-Judge Bench invoked direct reference to a Constitution Bench, invoking exceptional scenarios contemplated by the larger Bench in subsequent proceedings.
(B) A Bench of two Judges must follow a decision of a Bench of three Judges and may not overrule it; only if a two-Judge Bench concludes the earlier three-Judge judgment is so incorrect that it cannot be followed may it refer the matter to a three-Judge Bench for reconsideration. Only when clause (3) of Article 145 is attracted may a matter be directly referred by a two-Judge Bench to a Constitution Bench. Judicial discipline and propriety demand hierarchical adherence, with binding precedents from larger Benches binding smaller Benches.
Facts of the case:
A prior two-Judge Bench order had differed from a three-Judge Bench judgment in Nityananda Kar vs State of Orissa. The two-Judge Bench listed four reasons for disagreement and directed the matter be placed before a five-Judge Bench. The case was accordingly brought before this Court for determination of the correct procedure.
Findings of Court:
A Bench of two Judges cannot disagree with and directly refer a matter to a five-Judge Bench after a contrary three-Judge decision; the correct path is to refer to a three-Judge Bench. Only when provisions of Article 145(3) are engaged may a two-Judge Bench directly approach a Constitution Bench. The present matter lacked such justification and could only be referred to a Bench of three learned Judges.
Issues:
Whether two learned Judges can disagree with a three-Judge Bench judgment and refer the matter directly to a five-Judge Bench; whether direct reference to a Constitution Bench is permissible in the present facts.
Ratio Decidendi:
Judicial hierarchy binds smaller Benches to follow larger ones except in exceptional circumstances under Article 145(3); a two-Judge Bench must first seek reconsideration by a three-Judge Bench before escalation, and may bypass that step only when constitutional interpretation requiring a five-Judge Bench is plainly attracted.
Result:
The matter is ordered to be placed before a Bench of three learned Judges, to be constituted in January 2002, setting aside the attempted direct reference to a five-Judge Bench.
ORDER
These matters come to be placed before this Bench of five Judges by reason of an order passed on 24th October, 1996 by a Bench of two learned Judges. The two learned Judges stated in that order that they had been taken through the judgment of this court (delivered by a Bench of three learned Judges) in Nityananda Kar & Anr. etc. vs. State of Orissa & Anr. [1990 Suppl. (2) S.C.R. 644) and that, "with utmost respect", they did "not agree with the reasoning and the conclusions reached therein". The learned Judges set out four reasons why they disagreed with the said judgment. They then directed that these matters "be placed before a larger bench of five Judges of this Court. The Registry to place the papers before Hon ble the Chief Justice for appropriate orders in this case."
2. The question is whether two learned Judges of this Court can disagree with a judgment of three learned Judges of this Court and whether, for that reason, they can refer the matter before them directly to a Bench of five Judges?
3. We may point out, at the outset, that in Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited vs. Mumbai Shramik Sangha & Ors. [2001(4) S.C.C 448], a Bench of five Judges considered a somewhat similar question. Two learned Judges in that case doubted the correctness of the scope attributed to a certain provision in an earlier Constitution Bench judgment and, accordingly, referred the matter before them directly to a Constitution Bench. The Constitution Bench that then heard the matter took the view that the decision of a Constitution Bench binds a Bench of two learned Judges and that judicial discipline obliges them to follow it, regardless of their doubts about its correctness. At the most, the Bench of two learned Judges could have ordered that the matter be heard by a Bench of three learned Judges.
4. Learned counsel for the appellants drew our attention to the provisions of Article 145, clauses (2) and (3) of the Constitution of India. Clause (2) empowers the making of rules to fix the minimum number of Judges of this Court to sit for any purpose, Clause (3) says that the minimum number of Judges who are to sit for the purpose of deciding any case involving any substantial question of law as to the interpretation of the Constitution of for the purpose of hearing any reference under Article 143 shall be five. Learned counsel drew our attention to Order VII, Rules (1) and (2) of the Supreme Court Rules, 1966. Rule (1) says that every cause, appeal or matter shall be heard by a Bench consisting of not less than two Judges nominated by the Chief Justice. Clause (2) says that where, in the course of the hearing of any cause, appeal or proceeding, a Bench considers that the matter should be dealt with by a larger Bench, it shall refer the matter to the Chief Justice, who shall thereupon constitute such a Bench for the hearing of it. Learned counsel submitted that the Bench of two learned Judges that made the reference in this case did not over-rule the judgment of three learned Judges in the case of Nityananda Kar, as they could have, on the basis of an earlier Constitution Bench judgment (which, incidentally, is not even mentioned in the referral order), but had chosen to refer it to the Chief Justice who had constituted a Constitution Bench. In learned counsel s submission, circumstances could arise where it would be permissible for a Bench of two learned Judges directly to make a reference to a Constitution Bench; for example, when two judgments of a Constitution Bench were in conflict with each other or a judgment of a three Judge Bench was per incuriam. In learned counsel s submission, the present was a case which justified the reference directly to a Constitution Bench.
4. The learned Attorney General submitted that a Constitution Bench judgment of this Court was binding on smaller Benches and a judgment of three learned Judges was binding on Benches of two learned Judges - a proposition that learned counsel for the appellants did not dispute. The learned Attorney General drew our attention to the judgment of a Constitution Bench in Sub-Committee of Judicial Accountability vs. Union of India & Ors. (1992 (4) SCC 97) where it has been said that "no co-ordinate bench of this Court can even comment upon, let alone sit in judgment over the discretion exercised or judgment rendered in a cause or matter before another co-ordinate bench. The learned Attorney General submitted that the appropriate course for the Bench of two learned Judges to have adopted, if it felt so strongly that the judgment in Nityananda Kar was incorrect, was to make a reference to a Bench of three learned Judges. That Bench of three learned Judges, if it also took the same view of Nityananda Kar, could have referred the case to a Bench of five learned Judges.
5. In the present case the Bench of two learned Judges has, in terms, doubted the correctness of a decision of a Bench of three learned Judges. They have, therefore, referred the matter directly to a Bench of five Judges. In our view, judicial discipline and propriety demands that a Bench of two learned Judges should follow a decision of a Bench of three learned Judges. But if a Bench of two learned Judges concludes that an earlier judgment of three learned Judges is so very incorrect that in no circumstances can it be followed, the proper course for it to adopt is to refer the matter before it to a Bench of three learned Judges setting out, as has been done here, the reasons why it could not agree with the earlier judgment. If, then, the Bench of three learned Judges also comes to the conclusion that the earlier judgment of a Bench of three learned Judges is incorrect, reference to a Bench of five learned Judges is justified.
6. It is not necessary for us to go into the hypothetical cases spoken of by learned counsel for the appellants where a reference directly by a Bench of two learned Judges to a Constitution Bench would be justified. Suffice it to say that, for the present, we find it very difficult to accept the correctness of such hypothesis. The only situation when a two Judge Bench may refer a matter directly to a Constitution Bench is when the provisions of clause (3) of Article 145 are attracted.
7 . We have quoted the relevant portion of the referral order in the present case. By a judicial order the matters before the Bench of two learned Judges were ordered to be placed before a Bench of five learned Judges. The Chief Justice, as master of the cause lists, was required only to issue consequential administrative directions.
8. In the result, we are of the view that these matters could only have been referred to a Bench of three learned Judges. We, accordingly, order that they shall be placed before a Bench of three learned Judges. Having regard to the lapse of time, they shall be so placed in January, 2002.
(N.K.R.) Matter ordered to be placed a Bench of three learned Judges in Jan., 2002.
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Parallel Citations of other Journals :
Pradip Chandra Parija & Ors. v. Pramod Chandra Patnaik & Ors., 2001(8) Supreme 548
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