Judge 4 of Indian Supreme Court, Justice Lokur, will retire this year. Earlier, he questioned the integrity of the Chief Justice. April, he has interestingly worded a decision.

“The couldn’t-care-less and insouciant attitude of Union of India with regard to litigation, particularly in Supreme Court, has gone a little too far… Union of India must appreciate that by pursuing frivolous or infructuous cases, it is adding to the burden of this Court and collaterally harming other litigants by delaying hearing of their cases through the sheer volume of numbers… On June 23, 2010 Union of India released ‘The National Litigation Policy’… None of the pious platitudes in ‘The National Litigation Policy’ have been followed, indicating not only Union of India’s lack of concern for justice delivery system but scant regard for its own National Litigation Policy… In this appeal, Union of India has engaged 10 Lawyers, including an Additional Solicitor General and a Senior Advocate… In other words, Union of India has created a huge financial liability by engaging so many Lawyers for an appeal whose fate can be easily imagined on the basis of existing orders of dismissal in similar cases. Yet, Union of India is increasing its liability and asking taxpayers to bear an avoidable financial burden for the misadventure. Is any thought being given to this? The real question is: when will Rip Van Winkleism stop and Union of India will wake up to its duties and responsibilities to justice delivery system?”

– Hon’ble Justice Madan B. Lokur, Union of India v. Pirthwi Singh, [Diary No. 8754 of 2018].