NEW DELHI: A senior advocate in the presence of Chief Justice of India UU Lalit on Tuesday flagged concerns about speculation that the Supreme Court collegium sends recommendations for the appointment of judges only if it feels they would be accepted by the government.
“There are whispers in the air and I hope they are not true, of the collegium thinking that they will send recommendations only if they are going to be accepted by the government. This, I think, is a very dangerous thought... If it’s true, it necessarily means prior informal consultation. That would mean the negation of the independence of the judiciary and of the NJAC judgment,” C S Vaidyanathan said at the M K Nambyar Memorial Lecture organised by SASTRA University.
He added that if that is to be done, much better would be to review the NJAC verdict by a larger bench and then have a formal process of consultation, rather than having interviews in this manner. CJI UU Lalit delivered
the lecture. Speaking at the event, former Attorney General and Senior Advocate KK Venugopal said CJI UU Lalit has brought in significant reforms that have met with positive feedback.
Ever since Justice Lalit was sworn in as the CJI, the SC has witnessed many firsts. On August 27, when he assumed office, Justice Lalit had plans lined up for his short tenure. He also fulfilled his promise of at least one Constitution bench functioning throughout the year.