New Delhi: Former Chief Justice of India Justice UU Lalit on Saturday said the collegium system of appointment of judges is an ideal model which is foolproof. He was speaking at a program on judicial appointment and reforms. Justice Lalit noted that there is a rigorous process involved in recommending names for judges of constitutional courts.
Efforts should be made to keep the collegium alive
The former CJI said that we do not have any better system than the collegium system. If we have nothing better than the collegium system, we must work to keep it alive. The model we work on today is an ideal model.
Please inform that former CJI UU Lalit retired in November 2022. He said the judiciary is in a better position to decide on the merits of potential candidates as they have seen their work over the years.
can’t do anything
He said that when the matter reaches the Supreme Court Collegium, that is the absolutely correct position, whether the name is accepted or not. It is not that this is an arbitrary exercise taken by anyone. This is a foolproof system.
Collegium tussle between the government and the courts
Explain that the collegium system where sitting judges appoint judges to constitutional courts. But it has become a major bone of contention between the judiciary and the government.
On the collegium system, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar had recently said that by abolishing the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC), set up by an Act of Parliament, the Supreme Court had seriously compromised parliamentary sovereignty and disregarded the people’s mandate. Dhankhar’s remarks came amid the ongoing tussle between the government and the judiciary.
Minister Rijiju criticized the collegium
Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju has often criticized the collegium system for alleged opacity and has called it at odds with the Constitution.
A bench of the apex court recently wondered whether the collegium’s recommendations for appointment of judges were being withheld by the government. Because the Supreme Court struck down the NJAC Act that was brought in to replace the collegium system.
Read also: Supreme Court: Supreme Court gets 5 new judges, the central government approves the recommendation of the collegium
