India has no court of appeal unlike the UK. The Law Commission has, in its 227th report, recommended setting up four regional benches of the Supreme Court in Delhi, Chennai/Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai. However, the Full Court of the Supreme Court has rejected the Law Commission's suggestion for establishing a Constitutional Bench in Delhi and Cassation Benches in the four regions.
The Indian Supreme Court hears more than 50,000 cases a year. The UK and US Supreme Courts, on the other hand, hear less than 100 cases a year on average. India, unlike the US, has a unified judicial system. So each State does not have a separate hierarchy of courts that adjudicate state laws.
Discuss the benefits and demerits of having regional benches for Supreme Courts in India.
