Supreme Court Has Let the People Down, Abdicated Duty to Defend Fundamental Rights—Justice AP Shah

In an to Karan Thapar for The Wire Justice AP Shah, who is also a former Chairman of the Law Commission, said that “the priorities the Supreme Court gives to matters pending before it is a matter of some worry”. He said there’s “a decline in the Supreme Court’s role as a sentinel on the qui vive.”
Justice Shah told The Wire that whilst the Supreme Court was right to grant bail to Arnab Goswami because “personal liberty is paramount”, he was dismayed that many other more important and weighty matters pending before the Court keep getting repeatedly postponed whilst Arnab Goswami was heard out of turn and given precedence. Amongst the matters pending which have not got the Supreme Court’s attention as yet Justice Shah mentioned Article 370, the Citizenship Amendment Act, concerns about electoral fraud, migrant workers, the denial of internet to Jammu and Kashmir, the prosecution of intellectuals and several habeas corpus petitions.