NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has sought a response from the Union government's Ministry of Urban Development on a petition filed by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) for a direction to convert entire land measuring 1.33 acres allotted to the top court behind petrol pump near ITO as a chamber block for lawyers.
A bench of Chief Justice U U Lalit and S Ravindra Bhat, however, did not agree to a contention by senior advocate Vikas Singh to examine a plea on behalf of the Bar body to convert entire area around the Supreme Court as a Supreme Court Complex so that all buildings across it on Bhagwan Das Road, in- cluding Foreign Correspondents Club of South Asia, Indian Law Institute, Indian Society of International Law among others, can be utilised either for conver- sion into chamber or for re-development as chamber block/use for activities of Supreme Court or for other amenities for the lawyers.
Singh maintained that the Foreign Correspondents Club had already been issued eviction notice and it's premises should be handed over to the SCBA.
The bench, however, rejected the plea.
Similarly, the court did not allow a contention on the Indian Law Institute, saying it was a deemed university and said its remit was to assist the court.
"Which other body of professionals can we entertain like this and say you go and divest other people's properties for them," the bench asked him, adding those were public land given for specific purposes including some for residential premises.
Singh, on his part, contended he was arguing for their relocation for the purpose of building lawyers chambers.
During the hearing, the court also stressed the need for having a ceiling on number of years a lawyer could occupy the chamber.
