Amid high Pendency, SC shouldn’t hear bail applications and frivolous PILs: Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju

New Delhi, Dec 15, 2022: Voicing his opinion on the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre (Amendment) Bill-2022 on Wednesday, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said before the Rajya Sabha that a constitutional body like the Supreme Court should not be hearing “bail applications and frivolous PILs’’ at a time when pendency of cases is so high.

On Wednesday, Rijiju had introduced the Bill to rename the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre as the India International Arbitration Centre in the Upper House and it was passed by voice vote.

Answering allegations made by various Opposition members that the Bill was being introduced due to pressure from the World Bank, Rijiju stated, “…it is not under any international pressure but it is the situation, the emergent situation, which compelled the government to take a decision. Therefore, it is a sovereign decision by the government of India.”

“We are the fifth biggest economy in the world, yet we are not the international hub of arbitration,’’ said Rijiju, further adding that Rs 75 lakh had already been granted to the centre. The Centre has also proposed the appointment of a chairman as well as two expert members from the ministry.

Rijiju claimed that the main reason behind the problems in arbitration in India right now is of delays resulting from ad hoc arbitration which are often appealed in courts. He said: “If the arbitral awards are not of high quality, then there are negative comments from the judiciary. That is why the arbitral awards must be subjected to the scrutiny of the law.”