I have a list on mind: CJI Chandrachud on appointing young lawyers as HC judges

New Delhi, November 14

Favouring the Supreme Court Bar Association’s demand for elevating lawyers practicing in the top court as judges of various high courts, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Monday said he was in favour of appointing young lawyers as judges.

“I can let out a secret, when a young lawyer appears before us, the instinct that we have as judges who have come from High Court is to think, ‘Is this person not good enough to be appointed as the judge of the High Court?’ And I have a list of lawyers in my mind. I believe all my colleagues also have lists and I have been mentioning those names constantly to the Chief Justices who have preceded me,” the CJI at an SCBA function to felicitate him.

He, however, said there would not be any compromise on the chance of high court lawyers.

Justice Chandrachud said as the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court he had elevated some brilliant lawyers from the Supreme Court to the high court.

SCBA President Vikas Singh has been writing to successive chief justices to elevate talented lawyers practicing in the top court as judges of various high courts.

The CJI also talked about the problems faced by women district judges – many of whom did not have access to washrooms.

“I was told that women district judges have no washrooms and they leave home at 8 am and can use one only when they return home at 6 pm. For some the washrooms are away from the courtroom so when the judge has to go to the washroom, she has to pass by the undertrials who are sitting, which is very embarrassing for a judge. We have to change the face of the district judiciary first and foremost,” Justice Chandrachud said.