New Delhi:
Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Monday defended the collegium system of judges appointing judges to the higher judiciary, asserting that steps have been taken to ensure greater transparency.
In an exclusive interview with news agency PTI, the CJI said it is very easy to criticize the process but the collegium is making every effort to ensure that proper procedure of consultation is followed before appointing a judge.
“To say that the collegium system is not transparent would not be correct. We have taken steps to ensure greater transparency is maintained. A sense of objectivity in the decision-making process is maintained. But I also have something to share and that is my Caveat: When we consider judges for appointment to the Supreme Court, we are dealing with the careers of the sitting Supreme Court justices.
“Therefore, the deliberations taking place within the collegium cannot be brought into the public sphere for various reasons. Much of our discussion focuses on the privacy of the judges being considered for appointment to the Supreme Court. “If they have to take place in a free and frank atmosphere, that should not be the subject of video recording or documentation. That is not the system that the Constitution of India has adopted,” Chief Justice Chandrachud said.
The CJI said that keeping in mind the diverse society, it is also important that we learn to have confidence in our decision-making process.
“It is very easy to criticize the process, but having been part of the process for several years, I can share with you that our judges are doing everything they can to ensure that a fair process of consultation takes place before the appointment of a judge. ,” he said.
Chief Justice Chandrachud said that as the Chief Justice of India, he was bound by the Constitution and the law made by the Supreme Court that interpreted it.
“We have the collegium system for the appointment of judges, which has now been part of our jurisprudence since 1993 and that is the system we are implementing. But having said that, it is equally our duty as current members of the collegium system to maintain the system and make it more transparent and objective. And we have taken steps, decisive steps in that regard.
“All resolutions of the collegium are put on the website so that people know what decisions we make. And that promotes transparency. We have once again made public the parameters used by the collegium in the selection of judges for the Supreme Court. And many of the parameters apply in high courts,” he said.
Chief Justice Chandrachud said the Center for Research and Planning of the Supreme Court is helping the collegium in collecting data on judges who are in the consideration zone and preparing a comprehensive document to be circulated among the members of the collegium that will help them in assessing judges whose names come up for consideration.
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