Supreme Court cautions young lawyers against filing PILs for media fame

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a public interest litigation (PIL) petition highlighting the deaths caused by neglected public infrastructure and seeking judicial directions to address the issue [Dushyant Sejwal v. Union of India].

A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi flagged the recent trend of young lawyers "drafting baseless petitions" to gain visibility on social media instead of focusing on learning the law properly.

The Court was hearing submissions by petitioner's counsel citing a string of incidents where poor road conditions had proved fatal, including a case where a truck fell into an uncovered pit on a public road.

She urged that lax upkeep of civic amenities by public bodies had grown into a national concern.

CJI Kant sought to know why a complaint had not been filed against the concerned authorities in the specific instance, rather than invoking PIL jurisdiction.

When the counsel said she had been practising for four years, the CJI stated:

"You better concentrate on the profession. This coming in national media should be stopped for those who want to be serious in the profession."

The bench proceeded to dismiss the petition on the ground that it was "vague, evasive" and loaded with prayers that no court could realistically manage.