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Looking Ahead to 1971
Cite as : (1971) 1 SCC (Jour) 1
The momentous year of 1970 is out and a new vista of hope and courage heralds the new year 1971. Momentous because the Supreme Court Cases has successfully spread its fragrant aroma in the juristic world in 1970 with its fare replete with topical editorials, erudite case comments, learned articles, pithy advance head-notes of cases and above all quick reporting of all the cases of the Supreme Court, reportable and others. The fare was sumptuous for the price paid by our esteemed subscribers. The fare was comparably high when the other law reports in the field are all considered. In all in 1970 nearly 400 cases have been reported in three volumes, the third volume being in the press and about to be released.
It was momentous also in the sense that the year 1970 saw the sensational cases of the BANK NATIONALISATION CASE (1970 (1) SCC 248) and the V.V. GIRI CASE (1970(2) SCC 567) which hit the headlines in the somewhat tense politico-constitutional atmosphere in the country. We take pride in the fact that it was the S.C.C. that published these and other cases almost within one month of the delivery of the judgment in contradistinction to the delay of three to six months in other journals. The popularity of our journal has secured for us almost treble the number of subscribers we had for 1969. We are thankful to our numerous subscribers for their valued co-operation.
The year 1970 is also great as it witnessed the hearing of the sensational ABOLITION OF PRIVY PURSES CASE, which was decided on 15th December by a Bench of eleven judges, the majority (9) holding that the derecognition of the Rulers as a class by a Presidential order was ultra vires and that the Court had clear jurisdiction to interfere and issue a mandamus to the executive. The judgment is volumnous inasmuch as there are five separate judgments and we propose to have the same published in the January 15th, issue of the S.C.C.
The year 1970 was again momentous as a great Jurist, Chief Justice M. Hidayatullah laid down his office on 16th December and another stalwart jurist Justice J.C. Shah assumed the office of the Chief Justice of India on 17th December. The Judiciary had done a magnificent job in discharging their duties without fear or favour, despite all the sound and fury of political cross currents. Most, if not all the people of India, hail the stand taken by the Judiciary in upholding the supremacy of the Constitution over the three wings of Government-the Judiciary, the Legislature and the Executive, as very praisworthy and laudable in public interest.
With this buoyancy in upholding the Constitution, we march into 1971 with renewed vigour. May the new year harbinger all that is good and progressive in the interests of the nation.
On our side we have plans to improve our standards further in the matter of reporting and introducing new features.
So we have rung out the old 1970 and ring in the new year 1971 with lots of hope and courage. May the year 1971 bring to the common man in India, all prosperity, economic, social, political and legal. Legal prosperity lies in the Constitution of India being nourished and fostered to give a fair deal to one and all, rich, poor and the underdog.
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