The Freethought Party of India (FPI) has hailed the efforts of Attorney General KK Venugopal and the leadership of the Bar Council of India in settling the crisis in the Supreme Court and making the court functional.
While opposing to any of the moves proposed to impeach the Chief Justice of India for allotting sensitive cases to certain preferred Bench or Benches or requesting the CJI to initiate proceedings against the four senior most Judges, it said nothing should be done to destroy the independence of the judiciary.
However, the FPI said that the Collegium of the Supreme Court should function transparently and it should decide, like a Judicial Cabinet, under the chairmanship of the CJI in allotting politically sensitive cases on weekly basis or if necessary, in an emergency meeting. This must be done to drive away “any impression” that the Chief Justice is clandestinely working under the pressure of the Union Government or by any industrial house in fixing cases to certain preferred Bench or benches, the party said.
Besides, it said that the proceedings of the SC should be telecast in public. The retirement age of the Judges should be raised from 65 to 75, and the post of CJI has to be “rotational.”
No retiring Judge of the Supreme Court should ever be appointed thereafter against any other post. It also said that with regard to appointment of Judges, India should adopt the Israeli model.