SC reserves verdict on challenge to NJAC Act

The Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved verdict on a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional amendment and enabling law to replace the collegium system for the appointment of judges to higher judiciary by the National Judicial Appointment Commission.

The court will pronounce its verdict both on the maintainability of the challenge to Constitution (Ninety-Ninth Amendment) Act, 2014, that provides for setting up the National Judicial Appointment Commission (NJAC) and for enabling statute to the National Judicial Appointment Commission Act, 2014 and whether the matter be referred to a larger constitution bench to determine if appointment of judges by NJAC violates the independence of judiciary. 

The apex court bench of Justice Anil R. Dave, Justice J. Chelameswar and Justice Madan B. lokur reserved the verdict as Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi told the court that challenge to the constitution amendment and NJAC Act was pre-mature as both of them are yet to be notified and operationalised.