This refers to the report, “Centre vs judiciary on lakshman Rekha” (November 27). The Chief Justice of India has been virtually accusing the Centre of holding up the appointment of judges. In September, Justice J Chelameswar decided not to attend future meetings of the five-judge Supreme Court collegium and said that he did so because the collegium was “absolutely opaque and inaccessible both to public and history”.
The Government’s demand that the collegium must record minutes of its meetings, and underline dissent by any judge while making recommendations, was turned down by the apex court. The National Judicial Appointments Commission Act too was struck down by the court. On the directions of the apex court, the Government drafted a Memorandum of Procedure for appointment of judges, but the collegium rejected some of its provisions. The monopoly of judiciary in appointment of judges, and in an opaque manner with no accountability of the collegium, is undesirable.