Read Time: 06 minutes

In response to a question put up by MP Vijay Pal Singh Tomar regarding setting up a Bench of the Allahabad High Court at Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, the Union Law Minister, Kiren Rijijju on April 7, 2022, informed the Rajya Sabha that at present no complete proposal in this regard is pending with the Government. 

Tomar had put the following question before the Upper house-

"Will the Minister of LAW AND JUSTICE be pleased to state: (a) whether Government proposes to set up a High Court Bench in Western Uttar Pradesh particularly at Meerut; (b) if so, the details thereof; and (c) if not, the reasons therefor?"

To this, the Union Minister tabled his answer which states,

"High Court Benches are established in accordance with the recommendations made by the Jaswant Singh Commission and judgment pronounced by the Apex Court in W.P. (C) No. 379 of 2000 and after due consideration of a complete proposal from the State Government which has to provide necessary expenditure and infrastructural facilities and the Chief Justice of the concerned High Court who is required to look after the day to day administration of the High Court. The proposal to be complete should also have the consent of the Governor of the concerned State."

"At present, no complete proposal regarding setting up of Bench of Allahabad High Court in Western Uttar Pradesh, particularly at Meerut, is pending with the Government."

Notably, last year, during Union Law Minister's visit to Agra to participate in a sports event, a representation with the prayer to the Central Government to establish the High Court bench in Western UP, was presented to him. While receiving the same, he had commented that the Government will look into it. 

However, the issue got widely misreported as the Union Law Minister has said that "the Central Government is considering setting up of Allahabad High Court Bench in Agra" and subsequently, the Allahabad High Court Bar Association Elders Committee issued a statement calling Union Minister's 'alleged' remarks 'childish' and 'politically motivated'.

This compelled the Law Minister to issue another statement wherein he strongly condemned the statement of the Elders Committee. He clarified that when a representation was submitted to him at Agra, he only said that Government will look into the memorandum. "I've never made a statement on the subject of HC Bench," the minister said.

Demands of benches of the Allahabad High Court in the western part of the State have been aired since long by lawyers from Uttar Pradesh West. For that purpose, the lawyers of various bar associations came together and formed a committee namely 'High Court Establishment Sangharsh Samiti' to spearhead the campaign for the formation of a new bench in the western part of the state.

However, lawyers from Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court have opposed the creation of a new bench fearing loss of clientele.