Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha today said people’s welfare cannot be ensured in a country if its judiciary is kept cornered.

“Everybody has a responsibility to keep the judiciary in force. If the judiciary of a country is kept cornered, welfare can’t be ensured,” the chief justice told Attorney General Mahbubey Alam.

The chief justice made the comment while presiding over a six-member bench of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court during hearing on three government petitions challenging the High Court verdict that declared unconstitutional the rules under which the executive magistrates run mobile courts.

The apex court bench, however, extended for two weeks its July 4 order that stayed the HC verdict, clearing the way for the executive magistrates to run the mobile courts for two weeks.

It adjourned the hearing on the petitions for two weeks.

He, however, said the executive magistrates can run the mobile courts until the SC hears the leave to appeal petitions filed by the government against the HC verdict.

Delivering a verdict on three writ petitions on May 11, the HC declared unconstitutional the rules under which executive magistrates run mobile courts.

On July 2, the government filed three separate leave to appeal petitions with the Supreme Court challenging the High Court verdict.

Lastly, on July 4, the Supreme Court had extended its chamber judge’s stay order on the High Court verdict.