CJI DY Chandrachud: No institution perfect, can’t single out Collegium system

New Delhi, November 25

Amid criticism of the Collegium system of appointing judges to the higher judiciary, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Friday said no institution was perfect and the Collegium could not be singled out for criticism.

It’s not about pay

Getting good people in the judiciary is not just about reforming the Collegium… It’s not about how much you pay the judges. However high you pay them, it will be a fraction of what lawyers make in a day. DY Chandrachud, CJI

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“No institution in a constitutional democracy is perfect…All judges of the Collegium, including me, are faithful soldiers who implement the Constitution. When we talk of imperfections, our solution is to work our way within the existing system,” the CJI said at the Constitution Day celebrations organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) here this evening.

SCBA president Vikas Singh questioned the Collegium’s functioning, saying there was no system of identifying good lawyers and a transparent method to assess the “right person” to be elevated to the Bench.

“Getting good people in the judiciary is not just about reforming the Collegium… It’s not about how much salary you give to the judges. However high you pay the judges, it will be a fraction of what lawyers make in a day,” the CJI said, adding that it was a “call of conscience” and commitment to public service. “The answer lies in mentoring young people and giving them a dream to become a judge; not to have a government car or house…” Justice Chandrachud said in the presence of SC judges, Attorney General R Venkataramani and lawyers.

Law Minister Kiren Rijiju, who has been critical of the Collegium system, said a tussle between the judiciary and executive was meaningless as they were both creations of the same Constitution.

“We will ensure that the independence of the judiciary is kept intact and untouched. We are on the same page,” Rijiju said.