CJI urged to set up green benches in HCs for disposal of environment cases

A lawyer on Saturday wrote to Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud urging him to constitute dedicated and permanent "green benches" in all high courts for speedy and effective adjudication of environment related matters.

Advocate and environment activist Akash Vashishtha said the country is witnessing never-before climate disasters and experiencing increasing massive ecological assaults.

He said though the National Green Tribunal has evolved as an effective and efficacious forum for the settlement of disputes, the inherent limitations of the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010, have been major hurdles for the citizens in seeking environmental justice.

"As against a remedy under the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010, a remedy under Article 226 of the Constitution of India before a High Court is an all-encompassing recourse, enabling citizens, as victims, to seek compensation for the environmental wrongs committed in rem as well as in personam," the letter sent to the CJI said.

The lawyer said it is the critical need of the hour to establish a speedy and effective mechanism for a permanent, dedicated and robust resolution of environment, ecology and climate change issues in every high court of the country.

"Constitute dedicated and permanent, one or more 'green benches' (on the lines of that in the Hon'ble Supreme Court), in all 25 high courts in the country.

"The number of green benches in each high court may be in accordance with the number of courts functioning in that respective high court, the numerical strength of the judges, thereof, and the population of the state(s) under the territorial jurisdiction of that high court," the letter said.