2 Collegium members say no to written consent

New Delhi, October 4

The next round of appointment of judges to the Supreme Court appears to have run into rough weather for the time being with two Collegium members objecting to Chief Justice of India UU Lalit’s decision to seek written consent from them on four names proposed for elevation, sources said.

In a departure from convention, CJI Lalit had written to the four other Collegium members, i.e. the four senior-most judges of the Supreme Court, seeking their consent for appointment of four judges to the Supreme Court, which is currently functioning with only 29 judges against its sanctioned strength of 34.

• 29 judges currently in SC
• 34 sanctioned strength

The names circulated by the CJI for elevation to the top court were Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Ravi Shankar Jha, Patna High Court Chief Justice Sanjay Karol, Manipur High Court Chief Justice PV Sanjay Kumar and senior advocate KV Viswanathan, they said. The CJI’s unprecedented move came after the Collegium’s meeting on September 30 to consider names to be recommended to the government for appointment as judges of the Supreme Court could not take place as Justice DY Chandrachud, who is to succeed Justice Lalit as the next CJI in November, was holding court till 9.10 pm.

The two Collegium members reportedly insisted that any decision on judicial appointments had to be taken after proper deliberations, which were not possible through the letter circulated by the CJI, the sources said.

As per convention, the CJI does not convene Collegium meetings to finalise names for judicial appointments after recommending the name of his successor a month before his retirement. Justice Lalit, who is due to retire on November 8, is expected to recommend Justice Chandrachud’s name as his successor by October 8, they said, adding things were expected to be clear by October 10 when the top court reopens. — TNS

Names proposed

• Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Ravi Shankar Jha
• Patna High Court Chief Justice Sanjay Karol
• Manipur High Court Chief Justice PV Sanjay Kumar
• Senior advocate KV Viswanathan

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