For dealing with the 8 very important cases of the Constitutional importance, the Supreme Court has constituted two five-judge Constitution benches for Tuesday.
The first Constitution bench comprises of Chief Justice of India UU Lalit and Justices Dinesh Maheshwari, S Ravindra Bhat, Bela M Trivedi and JB Pardiwala.
The matters that shall be heard by this bench are:
1. Whether under the article 15 and 16 of the Constitution,muslims, as a community, can be declared socially and educationally backward ?
2.Petition pertaining to quashing of the notification declaring Sikh Educational institutions in the State of Punjab to be ‘minority’ thereby granting them 50 percent reserved seats for the members of Sikh Community.
3. Plea regarding demand for Courts of Appeal with exclusive jurisdiction to hear and finally decide appeals from High Courts?
4. A plea that challenges the current system for appointing members of the Election Commission of India (ECI) on the ground that Executive enjoys the power to make appointments.
The second constitution bench comprises of Justices Indira Banerjee, Hemant Gupta, Surya Kant, MM Sundresh and Sudhanshu Dhulia.
This bench will hear the following cases:
1. Plea on whether the criteria for selection can be changed after the process begins or is in process by the authorities concerned
2. Case relating to the doctrine of precedent with respect to Supreme Court judgments.
3. Plea challenging the practice of polygamy including Nikah Halala, Nikah Mutah and Nikah Misyar.
4. Plea on whether exercise of power conferred under Article 161 of the Constitution a policy can be framed, whereby remission can be granted by the Executive without approval of the Governor?
The new CJI as promised has listed matter for directions which would mean that there would be no lengthy hearings but certainly parties would be given a patient hearing before the matter finalises.