Prashant Bhushan case | Plea to uphold right of appeal in contempt case

Civil rights lawyer Prashant Bhushan has moved the Supreme Court for a declaration upholding the right of appeal of a person found guilty of contempt.

In his writ petition, Mr. Bhushan, represented by senior lawyer Kamini Jaiswal, said a person found guilty of contempt by the Supreme Court cannot file an appeal. He has to accept the verdict unquestioningly. Mr. Bhushan said an “intra-court appeal” mechanism should be evolved by the court. The right to appeal a court verdict is a fundamental right.

“As a judge the power of the Supreme Court to convict and sentence the accused is unlimited and arbitrary... No one can be at once a suitor and a judge. Thus, there is a need for an intra-court appeal,” Mr. Bhushan contended.