Why’s CJI not on panel to pick CEC, Supreme Court asks government
The Supreme Court of India has questioned the government on why the Chief Justice of India was excluded from the panel responsible for selecting the Chief Election Commissioner. The court is currently reviewing the constitutional validity of the 2023 Act that replaced the CJI with a cabinet minister.
Why it matters
The composition of the election commission selection panel is critical to maintaining the perceived independence and integrity of India's democratic electoral process.
NEW DELHI: Underscoring the need for an independent and impartial process for selection of the chief election commissioner and election commissioners, Supreme Court on Thursday said Election Commission must not only act independently but must also be seen to act independently. The court questioned why Parliament, while framing the law, decided not to include Chief Justice of India in the selection panel.A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma said the CJI was part of selection panels for CBI director and Lokpal, and asked what could be the reason for excluding him from the process of selecting CEC and ECs — posts that are among the most important for a democracy.
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