Time to impose pre-hearing costs in commercial cases to prevent frivolous matters: CJI

"The time has come to impose anticipatory costs in commercial matters which come to Supreme Court... It is time for the Supreme Court in commercial matters to say that first deposit Rs 5 crore cost and if it's frivolous then the cost will remain with us," the CJI said.

New Delhi, Dec 05: Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud on Monday said it is time to impose pre-hearing costs in commercial cases to prevent frivolous matters involving commercial issues to be argued before the Supreme Court.

The CJI made the oral observation and said that such frivolous commercial matters wasted a lot of the court's time and needed to be clamped down upon.

“The time has come to impose anticipatory costs in commercial matters which come to Supreme Court... It is time for the Supreme Court in commercial matters to say that first deposit Rs 5 crore cost and if it's frivolous then the cost will remain with us," the CJI said.

A CJI-headed bench was hearing appeal against an interim order of the high court in a commercial dispute case.

"You do not realise that you come to the Supreme Court for such matters and take up judicial time. You are challenging an interim order of a division bench of the high court... Why should we interfere," the CJI observed.

The applicant, thereafter, withdrew his plea.