The judgment was reserved after a marathon hearing which went on for 38 days spanning four months.
Highlighting the pendency of cases in various courts of the country, he said Indian legal system is marked by long delays and some of the reasons for it are infrastructure gaps and considerable vacancies, particularly in subordinate courts.
The Supreme Court order directing cinema halls to play the national anthem before screening to "instill committed patriotism and nationalism" has received mixed reactions from legal experts with a few terming it as "judiciary's over-enthusiasm" and others saying playing it and respecting it won't cause any harm.
The government also said the 'confusion' created by the apex court verdict may have to be corrected by reviewing the judgment and recalling the directions issued by it.
The remarks by the top court came at the fag end of the day-long hearing after WhatsApp, while opposing the maintainability of the plea challenging its 2016 privacy policy, explained the nitty-gritty involved in it.
The top court issued notices to Union ministries of law and justice and minority affairs as well as the National Commission of Women after taking note of the plea of Delhi-based woman Nafisa Khan challenging the practice of polygamy and 'nikah halala', and said that the matter will be taken up a five-judge Constitution bench.
The apex court also banned the media from publishing content of orders passed by Justice Karnan on Monday night by which he "sentenced" Chief Justice of India J S Khehar and seven other judges of the Supreme Court to five years rigorous imprisonment.
The top court also observed that it cannot be assumed that if a person does not stand up for the national anthem, then he is 'less patriotic'.
A bench of justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan in their separate but concurring verdicts noted that being the senior-most judge, the CJI is empowered to exercise 'leadership" on the court and in this role, he is expected to be the "spokesperson and representative" of the judiciary in its dealings with the executive, the government and the community.
The apex court asked Venugopal to file an affidavit indicating steps taken so far in the matter.
The bench said, "He is an Army officer not an ordinary criminal. You have to see the matter in a holistic way".
The apex court said that there was a need for a law to prevent persons with serious criminal cases pending against them from entering the legislature and be a part of lawmaking.
"We do not want all children to become ninjas," a senior lawyer told the Supreme Court on Thursday, taking a cue from Chief Justice H L Dattu's reference to his grandson looking like a ninja by wearing a mask to avoid high levels of pollution in Delhi.
The apex court made it clear that it would deal with the constitutionality of the Governor's letter inviting Yeddyurappa to form the government later.
According to sources in the agency, the counsel had been briefed about its stand which includes informing the apex court about 'certain moles' in the probe agency who were providing documents to people outside.
The apex court modified its November 30, 2016, order by which it had made playing of the anthem mandatory in cinema halls before the screening of a film.
The Supreme Court has asked the CBI to place before it the "files and notings" which purportedly suggest that its Director Ranjit Sinha wants stopping of whole trial against Reliance Telecom Ltd (RTL) and three top executives of the Reliance ADAG, who are accused in the 2G spectrum scam case.
The SC asked Gujarat Congress 'why is it so late in raising question over the use of NOTA'.
The SC clarified that it has not asked for non-registration of an FIR for the offences under the SC/ST Act.
Several top jurists on Monday pushed for scrapping the existing collegium system where judges appoint judges but government's plans to bring a bill to make the process of appointments more transparent may take some more time.
The apex court asked Attorney General K K Venugopal to assist it to deal with the plea.
The apex court said it was only safeguarding the interest of innocents from being arrested.
The apex court made it clear that banks and telecom service providers will have to indicate the last date of linking bank accounts and mobile numbers with Aadhaar in their communications with customers.
Extension of the deadline from December end this year till March 31, 2018, would apply only to those people who do not have Aadhaar and are willing to enrol for it.
The apex court imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh each on them for wilfully disobeying its order by transferring CBI joint Director A K Sharma who was probing the Bihar shelter home sexual assault cases.
The Supreme Court asked on Friday as it said it would examine the issue of entry ban on women of menstrual age in the historic Sabarimala temple on the basis of constitutional parameters.
The apex court, however, made it clear that the swearing-in and the government formation in the state would be subject to the final outcome of the case before it.
The apex court will also decide whether the trial of the VVIP accused can be transferred from a court in Rae Bareli to Lucknow.
After the publication of the final list of NRC, those people whose name will figure in it will be given usual Aadhaar number as applicable to legal residents in the country.
Justice Karnan in his response, alleged discrimination and 'social boycott' by companion judges on various grounds including his caste.
A nine-judge Constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar, heard marathon arguments for six days over a period of three weeks and reserved its verdict on the issue whether right to privacy can be held as a fundamental right under the Constitution.
TDSAT had stated no amount was payable till resolution of the disputes.
Opposing the verdict, several Dalit organisations called for a 'Bharat bandh' on Monday.
The 5-judge bench, was referring to four senior most judges of apex court -- Justices J Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, M B Lokur and Kurian Joseph -- who had held January 12 press conference against CJI Dipak Misra raising litany of questions on allocation of cases.
The apex court said it would pronounce its order on Tuesday whether such a plea was maintenable or not.
A seven-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur, elaborating on the issues weighing on its mind, said "all that we wanted to know was that appeal for votes in the name of religion, means whose religion? Is it the religion of candidates or religion of agent or religion of the third party (seeking votes) or religion of voters or that of all of them?"
In April 2013, CBI had first told the Court there were "some difficulties" in the probe after it went abroad.
The apex court has also issued notice to Centre, Tamil Nadu and other states where 'Jallikattu' is played.
The CBI filed the appeal against the May 31, 2005 decision of the high court by which all accused, including Europe-based industrialists Hinduja brothers, were discharged from the Rs 64-crore pay-off case.
"Since beginning, I am hearing this that if I am not with you, then I am an Aadhaar judge. I don't care," the judge said.
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