SC & HC judges being appointed by Modi, not collegium, says ex-judge
Former Madras High Court judge K Chandru has alleged that the current Indian government effectively bypasses the judicial collegium to directly appoint Supreme Court and High Court judges. He criticized the lack of transparency in the current system and the absence of constitutional recognition for the collegium process.
Why it matters
This raises significant questions about the separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary in the world's largest democracy.
Chennai: Judges of Supreme Court and high courts are, in effect, being appointed directly by Prime Minister Narendra Modi rather than the collegium, said former judge of Madras high court K Chandru on Saturday.He said the Modi govt, after coming to power in 2014, attempted to introduce the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC), but Supreme Court struck down the legislation. “Since then, all Supreme Court and high court judges were directly appointed by Modi, not the collegium,” Justice Chandru said. He said the govt had made no attempt to revive the NJAC as it had found ways that were more profitable than the commission.Criticising the collegium system of judicial appointments, he said the process lacked transparency and was not recognised by the Constitution. “There are 38 judges in Supreme Court and about 1,000 judges in high courts.
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