Govt clears 34 of 77 names for appointment as HC judges
NEW DELHI: The central government on Friday told the Supreme Court that it has cleared 34 names out of the 77 recommended by the collegium for appointment as judges in various high courts.
Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Centre, apprised a bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur that the remaining 43 names has been sent back to the collegium for reconsideration.
As of today no file with regard to appointment of judges in high courts is pending with the government, the AG added.
Following the submission, the bench also comprising justices Shiva Kirti Singh and L Nageswara Rao said it would convene a meeting of the collegium, that appoints judges in higher judiciary, on November 15. Rohatgi said the Centre has sent fresh draft Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) for consideration of the collegium on August 3, this year, but so far no response has been received by the government.
The court has now fixed the petition filed in public interest by 1971 war veteran Lieutenant Colonel Anil Kabotra, a former Army official, on the issue for further hearing on November 19.
The court had asked the government to frame the memorandum of procedure, a set of guidelines on appointment of judges to the apex court and high courts in the country, to be finalised in consultation with the CJI and the collegium but the two sides have failed to agree on it.
The apex court had earlier rapped the government for delay in appointments to higher judiciary despite recommendations made by the collegium in this regard and had said the entire institution cannot be brought to a grinding halt.
Maintaining that the appointment process “cannot be stalled” due to non-finalisation of the MoP, the court had criticised the tardy progress in processing files pertaining to judges’ appointment and even warned that it may summon the secretaries of the PMO and the ministry of law and justice to ascertain the factual position.
The Attorney General had said that non-finalisation of the MoP was one of the issues and had assured the bench that more progress will be seen in the near future on the appointment of judges.