Many poor in queue, can't allow 'luxury litigation' by rich: SC

In India, the Supreme Court has ruled against the practice of wealthy individuals engaging in what it terms "luxury litigation," a term used to describe legal battles undertaken to gain advantage or vindicate reputations rather than protect genuine rights. This decision came following a case involving actress Rehana Khan and her lawyer, Rizwan Siddique, who have been involved in legal disputes for the past 11 years across various forums, including the Bar Council of India, the Bombay High Court, and the Supreme Court itself.

The court imposed a cost of Rs 5 lakh on each litigant for approaching the court with "clean hands," implying that both parties had contributed significantly to the delay in resolving genuine cases. The bench, comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, expressed strong disapproval of the conduct of both Rehana Khan and Rizwan Siddique, noting that their prolonged legal battles had consumed the time of the Bar Council, a High Court, and the Supreme Court.

The court emphasized that the real victims in such cases are the genuine litigants who are forced to wait years for their pleas to be heard. The bench highlighted that the two litigants had approached the court with the expectation of vindication, yet every fact in their cases had to be extracted from records filled with suppression, embellishment, and afterthought.

The court stressed that the judiciary's role is not to facilitate personal vendettas, reputation salvage, or to extract advantage from controversies one's own making.

The court's decision underscores its commitment to ensuring that the legal system remains fair and efficient, serving the needs of those genuinely seeking justice rather than those who exploit the system for personal gain.