CHANDIGARH, May 23: Stressing the need to preserve public trust in the judiciary, the Punjab and Haryana High Court ruled today that a Chief Justice has the plenary authority to withdraw and reassign any matter — even those already heard and reserved — in the interest of institutional integrity.
Dismissing objections to the transfer of a case involving Roop Bansal, accused under the Prevention of Corruption Act, Chief Justice Sheel Nagu held that such powers are “untrammelled and immune from judicial scrutiny” when exercised to uphold the judiciary’s credibility.
The decision came after a controversy erupted over the withdrawal of a corruption case heard and reserved by a single bench, which was later transferred to another bench headed by the Chief Justice himself following complaints.
“If the Chief Justice had not taken preventive emergent steps, he would be failing in his duty,” the court observed, adding that protecting the judiciary’s reputation must prevail over procedural rigidity.
