New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to list for hearing a matter seeking direction to the Centre to immediately notify all recommendations for the appointment of judges that have been sent to it by the apex court Collegium.
A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices Hima Kohli and JB Pardiwala said it will list the matter after advocate Prashant Bhushan mentioned the matter for the listing of the case.
Bhushan, while mentioning the matter said, “We are seeking a mandamus to the government. This plea was filed in 2018 and nothing was listed.” To this CJI said, “This will be listed. I will pass administrative orders.”
NGO Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL) had filed a plea alleging that the Centre has been “indefinitely sitting” on the names recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium for appointment of judges in the higher judiciary.
The plea has sought a direction to the Centre to notify the appointment of judges for the Supreme Court and different High Courts whose names have already been unanimously reiterated by the Collegium and are pending with the government.
It had also sought a direction to the government to notify the recommendations for appointments of judges to various High Courts that have been sent by the Collegium and the Centre has not responded even though six weeks have passed since the recommendations were received.
The plea had also alleged that important constitutional positions cannot be left vacant merely because of the “inaction” of the government and its “politically motivated interference in the judicial appointment process”.
The NGO highlighted many recommendations which were sent by the Collegium but not acted upon by the government.
