NEW DELHI: Pulling up the Centre for the inordinate delay in acting on the recommendations made by the collegium for appointment of judges in the higher judiciary, the Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to the Secretary (Justice) and Additional Secretary (Administration and Appointments).
“Just keeping the names pending is something not acceptable” a bench of judges S K Kaul and A S Oka said, adding it seems to be a tactic to compel these persons to withdraw their names. “With the expanding opportunities to prominent lawyers, it is as it is a challenge to persuade persons of eminence to be invited to the Bench and on top of that, if the process takes ages, there is further discouragement to them to accept the invitation,” the court noted.
The unusual delay from the government’s side implies that the government neither appoints the persons and nor communicates its reservation, if any, on the names, the bench added. Senior advocate Vikas Singh, who raised the issue, told the bench that the Centre had also not acted upon the recommendation made by the collegium five weeks ago for elevation of Justice Dipankar Datta, Chief Justice of Bombay HC, as judge of SC.
“There are 10 names pending... which have been reiterated by the Collegium from 04.09.2021 to 18.07.2022,” the court noted.