The Supreme Court on Friday ruled that the Chief Justice of India (CJI) is "the master of the roster" and possesses the power to allocate cases to different benches. In separate concurring verdicts, a bench comprising Justices AK Sikri and Ashok Bhushan said the CJI is the "first among equals and is empowered to exercise leadership in the administration of court". Former law minister Shanti Bhushan had filed a plea, challenging the present roster practice of allocation of cases in the SC by the CJI.

Notably, a five-judge constitution bench and a three-judge bench have already ruled that the Chief Justice is the master of the roster. Justice Sikri reiterated today: “In his verdict today, Justice Sikri said, "As far as the role of CJI as master of the roster is concerned, there is no dispute that he is the master of the roster and has authority to allocate cases to different benches of the Supreme Court."

Meanwhile, Justice Bhushan underlined that the CJI has the authority not only to allocate cases but also nominate benches for their hearing. He also asserted that there are “rich conventions and practices of SC which are time-tested and should not be tinkered with”.

Justice Sikri, meanwhile, said the greatest threat to the judicial system is the erosion of judiciary in people’s minds. He further said that being the senior-most SC judge, the CJI is the "spokesperson and leader of the judiciary". The bench also observed that no system is infallible, which means is always a room for improvement in the judiciary’s functioning.