E.S. VENKATARAMIAH AND K.N. SINGH, JJ.
Civil Misc. Petn. No. 19065 of 1987 in Civil Appeal No. 1713 of 1987, D/- 15-9-1987.
State Bank of India and another, Petitioners
Versus
S. B. I. Employees Union and another, Respondents.
Constitution Of India, 1950 – Article 134A, 132(1), 133(1), 134(1), (1)(c), 1343 (3) - Management - Employees - Fix Hours Of Work – Fix Hourse Of Recess - Petition in which employees of State Bank of India had questioned right of management to fix hours of work and hourse of recess and its right to stagger period of recess and had prayed for other conseqwntial reliefs - Whether a certificate of nature referred to in clause (1) of Article 132 or clause (1) of Article 133 or, as case may be, sub-clause (c) of clause (1) of Article 134 may be given in respect of that case – Held, Before introduction of Art. 134A of Constitution by Forty-fourth Amentment of Constitution there was no express provision in Arts. 132, 133 and 134 of Constitution regarding time and manner in which an application for a certificate under any of those artiles could be made before High Court - There was also a doubt as to power of High Court to issue a certificate suo motu under any of those Articles - Article 134A was enacted to make good said deficiencies - Article 134A does not constitute an independent provision under which a certificate can issued - It is ancillary to Art. 132(1), Art. 133(1) and Art. 134(1)(c) of the Constitution - That is reason for use of words "if High Court certifies under Art. 134A" in Art. 132(1) and Art. 133(1) and for use of the words "certifies under Art. 134A" in Art. 134(1)9c) - Fact that in a similar case a certificate had been issued by a Division Bench of High Court consisting of two Judges, in a case decided by Division Bench did not empower single Judge to issued certificate under Art. 133(1) of Constitution in a case decided by him - Restriction placed by cl. (3) of Art. 1343 of Constitution could not be got over by relying upon order of Division Bench – Order accordingly.
ORDER :- The certificate on the basis of which this appeal is, filed is issued by a learned single Judge of the High Court of Bombay under Art. 134A of the Constitution in respect of an order by him in a Writ Petition in which the employees of the State Bank of India had questioned the right of the management to fix the hours of work and the hourse of recess and its right to stagger the period of recess and had prayed for other conseqwntial. reliefs. The learned single Judge allowed the petition following certain earlier decisions of the High Court rendered by the Division Benches. He however proceeded to grant a certificate of fitness to file an appeal against his decision before this Court following an earlier order of a Division Bench granting such a certificate in respect of one of those earlier decision. He issued the certificate under Art. 134A of the Constitution without referring to the Article under which the appeal could be filed. Article 134A of the Constitution Constitution reads thus :
"134A. Every High Court, passing or making a judgment, decree, final order or sentence. referred to in clause (1) of Article 132 or clause (1) of Article 133, or Clause (1) of article 134,-
(a) may, if it deems fit so to do, on its own motion; and
(b) shall, if an oral application is made by or on behalf of the party aggrieved. immediately after the passing or making of such judgment, decree, final order or sentence.
determine, as soon as may be after such passing or making, the question whether a certificate of the nature referred to in clause (1) of Article 132 or clause (1) of Article 133 or, as the case may be, sub-clause (c) of clause (1) of Article 134. may be given in. respect of that case."
2. The certificate contemplated under Art. 134A of the Constitution can only be a certificate which is referred to in cl. (1) of Art. 132 or in cl. (1) of Art. 133 or in sub-cl. (c) of cl. (1) of Art. 134 of the Constitution. This is quite obvious from the language of Art. 134A of the Constitution. This case does not fall either under Art. 132(1) or under sub-cl. (c) Art. 134 (1) as it neither involves a substantial question of law as to the interpretation of the Consitution nor it is a criminal proceeding. It can only fall., if at all, under Art. 133(1) of the Constitution. Article, 133 of the Constitution reads thus :
" 133. (1) An appeal shall lie to the Supreme Court from any judgment, decree of final order in a civil proceeding of a High Court in the territory of India if the High Court certifies under Art. 134A-.
(a) that the case involves a substantial question of law of general importance; and
(b) that in the opinion of the High Court the said question needs to be decided by the Supreme Court.
(2) Notwithstanding anything in Art. 132, any party appealing to the Supreme Court under cl. (1) may urge as one of the grounds in such appeal that a substantial question of law as to the interpretation of this Constitution has been wrongly decided.
(3) Notwithstanding anything in this article. no appeal shall, unless Parliament by law otherwise provides, lie to the Supreme Court from the judgment, decree or final order of one Judge of a High Court."
3. Clause (3) of Art. 133 says that notwithstanding anything in that Article no judgment, decree or final order of one Judge of the High Court. Before the introduction of Art. 134A of the Constitution by the Forty-fourth Amentment of the Constitution there was no express provision in Arts. 132, 133 and 134 of the Constitution regarding the time and manner in which an application for a certificate under any of those artiles could be made before the High Court. There was also a doubt as to the power of the High Court to issue a certificate suo motu under any of those Articles. Article 134A was enacted to make good the said deficiencies. Article 134A does not constitute an independent provision under which a certificate can issued. It is ancillary to Art. 132(1), Art. 133(1) and Art. 134(1)(c) of the Const
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