The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it would consider pleas seeking modification of its earlier orders that barred high courts from hearing appeals against trial court orders passed in cases related to alleged illegal coal block allocations.

The apex court passed two orders between 2014 and 2017 restricting the accused from approaching the high court and had directed that appeals against trial court proceedings in the coal scam cases could only be filed in the top court.

The intent behind the orders was to expedite trial processes by preventing delays and to stall the proceedings by the accused seeking relief in high courts.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar was considering pleas that urged it to modify the orders saying the Delhi High Court, being the appellate court, be allowed to deal with the pleas arising out of trial court orders related to coal scam cases.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for one of the aggrieved persons, sought modification of the orders on the ground that it denuded the powers of the high courts which are also constitutional courts.

Prashant Bhushan appearing for NGO Common Cause, one of the PIL petitioners on whose petition the allocations were cancelled, opposed the plea saying the earlier orders were passed to prevent the accused persons from filing frivolous appeals before various forums to delay the trial.

A three-judge bench will take up the case in the third week of January.