Some judicial verdicts gave a distinct impression of overreach: Venkaiah Naidu

Vice President of India and Chairman of Rajya Sabha M.Venkaiah Naidu has asserted that none of the three organs of the ‘State’ can claim to be supreme as only the Constitution is supreme.

Addressing the inaugural session of the 80th All India Conference of Presiding Officers at Kevadia, Gujarat, Naidu urged the three organs of the State to work in harmony guided by the spirit of mutual respect, responsibility, and restraint for the cause of nation-building.

He expressed concern over the instances of each of the three organs encroaching into the domain of others.

Quoting some observations of the Supreme Court concerning its domain and powers, Naidu stressed that even the principle of ‘first among equals’ does not apply to the apex court and only the Constitution is supreme.

Naidu said that it is not desirable for the judiciary to be perceived as acting as ‘super executive’ or ‘super-legislature’.

The Vice President noted that “There have been quite a few judicial pronouncements that gave a distinct impression of an overreach. These actions have resulted in an avoidable blurring of the contours demarcated by the Constitution.”

Higher judiciary deciding on Diwali fireworks, banning of use vehicles of certain make after 10 or 15 years, monitoring police investigations, denying the executive any role in the appointment of judges through collegiums, invalidating the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act seeking to enforce accountability and transparency etc were some instances referred to by Shri Naidu as being perceived as instances of judicial overreach.