Chief Justice of India Surya Kant (File photo)
NEW DELHI: Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Saturday described high courts as “primary sentinels” (guards) to ensure that the rule of law is not a “distant concept” for the common man.CJI Kant made the remark at a felicitation programme of the Bombay high court in Mumbai.“High courts are the primary sentinel guarding the doorsteps of the ordinary citizen, ensuring that the rule of law is not a distant concept but a localised, breathing reality,” PTI quoted the chief justice as saying.“HCs should not remain only revisional or appellate courts but should be vibrant and accessible centres to constitutional remedy. They are not mere stepping stones to the Supreme Court,” the country’s top jurist added.CJI Kant further stressed that though the Supreme Court, as the highest court of the land, has the final word, a high court’s word is often the “most vital” one.”When the law is silent, the sentinel does not remain mute. We have seen HCs issue directions to protect the environment, ensure dignity of every human being, like prisoners, and securing the rights of migrant workers during a national crisis,” he said.The CJI also stated that he is opposed to litigants approaching the top court directly, bypassing the HCs. “I am often loudly vocal against those who approach us without first availing the remedy to move the high court. People who are rich and privileged should not think that they have direct access to the Supreme Court merely because Article 32 of the Constitution allows it,” he remarked.Article 32 of the Constitution empowers citizens to approach the Supreme Court directly for enforcement of their fundamental rights.