Further, the petitioners disputed the government’s claim that Kurnool was chosen due to its central location within Rayalaseema. They noted that Kurnool is not in the centre but at a corner, bordering Telangana and situated just 200 km from Hyderabad.
They maintained that any decision on the High Court Bench should adhere to the guidelines set by the Jaswant Singh Commission, adding that the High Court Chief Justice must consider those guidelines and seek approval from the Governor, as per Section 31(3) of the AP State Reorganisation Act.
Proposal must come from CJ: Petitioners
The petitioners emphasised that the State government does not have the authority to make such a decision and argued that the High Court should not be established anywhere other than Amaravati. They stated that any proposal for a High Court Bench should come from the Chief Justice, not the Chief Minister.
Additionally, the advocates questioned why the government’s argument about the distance to the High Court did not apply to the Assembly or Secretariat. They labelled the government’s decision to establish the High Court Bench in Kurnool as a conspiracy to undermine the judiciary.
