Some retired judges part of anti-India gang; anyone against nation will have to pay: Law Minister Kiren Rijiju

There are a few (retired) judges who are activists and are part of anti-India gang which is trying to turn judiciary against government and those who turn against the nation will have to pay, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Saturday. .The law minister was answering questions at the India Today Conclave 2023 when he referred to a recently conducted seminar on the accountability of judges. "Recently there was a seminar was on accountability of judges. But somehow the entire seminar became (about) how the executive is affecting the judiciary. There are few judges who are activists and are part of anti-India gang which is trying to turn judiciary against government like the opposition parties. Judges are not part of any political affiliation and how can these people say that executive needs to be reigned in. How can they say this? No one will escape and those who turn against the nation will have to pay," he said.Below are the excerpts from his responses..On Collegium system and appointment of judgesRijiju said that the misadventure of the Congress governments in interfering with judges appointments led to the Collegium system."As per constitution the appointment of judges is upto the government and president shall appoint Supreme Court and High Court judges in consultation with the Chief Justice of India and Chief Justices of High Courts. It was only due to the misadventure of the Congress party and judicial overreach that the collegium system came into being," he said.He, however, said that till a new system is brought into place, the Central government will follow the collegium system.He, however, said that appointing judges is an administrative task and the government has to carry out due diligence..On Central government not clearing names recommended by Collegium "I do not want to talk about individual names and why names are not being cleared... Collegium knows why we have not cleared and we also know why they have insisted on the names. I can answer this but it won't be appropriate to label the names.".On Court vacation"Judges do require holidays since they deal with 50-60 cases everyday along with administrative duties. They have a huge mental pressure and need to go for vacation etc. In United States of America, judges deal with 4 to 5 cases and here judges deal with 50 to 60 cases daily and in some days judges hear 100 cases also.".On conflict between executive and judiciary.He was of the opinion that "conflict" is not the correct term."In a democratic set up, there is always difference of opinion. there will be issues between three organs which will run against each other, but not correct to say that there is confrontation we have always stuck to the independence of judiciary and also strengthening the judiciary.".On same-sex marriageOn the subject of same-sex marriage, Rijiju said that the parliament is the reflection of people's vision and people's choice. Therefore, how the institution of marriage is governed needs to be debated in parliament..On recent Supreme Court judgment on Election Commission.Sharing his views on the constitution bench judgment of the Supreme Court which held that the appointment of members of the Election Commission of India (ECI) should be done on the advice of a committee, the Law Minister asked, "If the CJI or judges of India sit on every appointment who will carry forward the judicial work?"He clarified that he was not critiquing the judgment, but emphasised that judges are meant to primarily deliver judicial orders and work.