ISSUE:
Whether an Inspecting/Administrative Judge has the authority to grant bail during a jail inspection and direct the Sessions Judge to grant bail?
Whether the power of superintendence under Article 227 of the Constitution permits High Court Judges to interfere in the judicial functions of subordinate courts?
RULE:
The power of superintendence under Article 227 is supervisory in nature and does not extend to interference in the judicial functions of subordinate courts. It is to ensure that courts function within their jurisdiction and does not authorize a High Court Judge to grant bail or direct a subordinate court to do so.
Judicial independence requires that subordinate courts decide matters without administrative influence. The High Court’s administrative authority does not include the power to interfere with the judicial discretion of lower courts.
Orders affecting rights of litigants, including bail, must be passed strictly in accordance with established legal procedure. A bail order passed outside the statutory framework lacks legal validity.