Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi today said that around seventy to eighty files relating to appointment of judges are pending with Collegium..Only 27 files are with the Central government..The Bench presided by CJI Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjiv Khanna was hearing a PIL filed by Centre for PIL seeking a direction to the Central government to expedite the appointment of judges to the higher judiciary..“As CJI, I am telling you only 27 files are with the government. Seventy to eighty files are with the Collegium”, remarked Gogoi J..He then adjourned the case for six weeks..NGO, Centre for PIL (CPIL) had approached Supreme Court praying that names of lawyers and judges who have been reiterated by the Collegium for appointment as High Court judges be cleared expeditiously for appointment by the Central government..The petition has contended that the Central government’s failure to act on the files of those recommended by the Collegium for appointment as judges shows a complete disregard for the law laid down by the Supreme Court in the Second Judges case and the NJAC case..Further, it is argued that that the present picture represents a virtual break down of the consultative process, thereby diminishing, if not destroying, the primacy of the Chief Justice of India with regard to judicial appointments. It states,.“The picture that emerges reflects an extremely sorry state of affairs with regard to appointments and transfers of Judges to the higher Judiciary thereby seriously eroding the Independence of the Judiciary and violating the Basic Structure of the Constitution.”
Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi today said that around seventy to eighty files relating to appointment of judges are pending with Collegium..Only 27 files are with the Central government..The Bench presided by CJI Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjiv Khanna was hearing a PIL filed by Centre for PIL seeking a direction to the Central government to expedite the appointment of judges to the higher judiciary..“As CJI, I am telling you only 27 files are with the government. Seventy to eighty files are with the Collegium”, remarked Gogoi J..He then adjourned the case for six weeks..NGO, Centre for PIL (CPIL) had approached Supreme Court praying that names of lawyers and judges who have been reiterated by the Collegium for appointment as High Court judges be cleared expeditiously for appointment by the Central government..The petition has contended that the Central government’s failure to act on the files of those recommended by the Collegium for appointment as judges shows a complete disregard for the law laid down by the Supreme Court in the Second Judges case and the NJAC case..Further, it is argued that that the present picture represents a virtual break down of the consultative process, thereby diminishing, if not destroying, the primacy of the Chief Justice of India with regard to judicial appointments. It states,.“The picture that emerges reflects an extremely sorry state of affairs with regard to appointments and transfers of Judges to the higher Judiciary thereby seriously eroding the Independence of the Judiciary and violating the Basic Structure of the Constitution.”
