Centre opposes, but Collegium reiterates Amit Negi for Allahabad High Court judgeship

The Supreme Court Collegium has decided to reiterate its recommendation to elevate advocate Amit Negi as a judge of Allahabad High Court.

This decision was taken by the Collegium yesterday after the Central government had sent back the file pertaining to Negi’s candidature.

The proposal for the elevation of Amit Negi was first made by the High Court Collegium on April 11, 2016. It was then cleared by the Supreme Court Collegium twice, on August 30, 2016 and November 15, 2016.

However, in June 2017, the recommendation was withheld after inputs on an FIR against him came to the Collegium’s notice.

This FIR was, however, quashed by the High Court and no appeal was preferred against it by the State of Uttar Pradesh.  Subsequently, the Collegium, on August 1 this year, decided that the proposal for the elevation of Amit Negi “needs to be processed further most expeditiously”.

The file was then sent to the Law Ministry. However, the proposal was referred back by the Government to the Chief Justice of India for reconsideration.

In its resolution passed yesterday, the Collegium has stated that it has carefully scrutinized the material placed on record including the reasons recorded in the file seeking reconsideration of the proposal.

The said grounds had already been considered by the Collegium while recommending his name in August 2016 and there is no fresh material. Hence, it considered it fit to reiterate his name.

“We have carefully scrutinized the material placed on record including the reasons recorded in the file seeking reconsideration of the proposal for elevation of Shri Amit Negi. Grounds on which reconsideration of the above proposal has been sought have already been considered by Collegium while recommending the name of Shri Amit Negi on 30th August, 2016. Since the Collegium does not find any fresh material in the file referred back to it for reconsideration of the above proposal, the Collegium is of the considered opinion that Shri Amit Negi, Advocate deserves to be elevated to the High Court Bench.”

Read the notification below.