New Delhi: For three decades, the lawyers were assured to become a judge of the High Court, when his name was recommended by HC collegies in a three -member Supreme Court Collegium led by CJI. The success rate was 85-90%, but now it has become very difficult because less than 50% of the recommended SC collegium was approved, under individuals, for a suitability test through an aspiration, interview/conversation, a report of Dhananjay Mahapatra.
Earlier, the SC Collectorate had a liberal investigation by the entrepreneurs by focusing on the number of important cases argued by the lawyers and the Intelligence Bureau (IB), which described their reputation among the Advocate community. Preventing almost all lawyers-10–15% recommended by HC Collegia, which were dropped under the adverse IB report or below income, which reflects the lack of practice-made it in the final list of names sent to the Center for appointment.
Such an investigation was easier that a decade ago, the Supreme Court Collegium had approved the appointment of a CJI’s sister as a Judge of a CJI, as her annual income was less than Rs 1 lakh. His appointment assured him the pension of a judge.
‘Interviews give first information about legal skills’
New Delhi: A month after becoming CJI, in consultation with Justice Sanjeev Khanna, Justice Bra Gavai and Surya Kant, decided to conduct personal conversations (interviews) of those recommended by HC Collegia, to understand their judicial perspective and suitability for judicial approach in a constitutional court.
The step became expedient, despite not being part of the process for the appointment of HC judges prepared by SC through two decisions in the 1990s, some motor-oriented judges in view of the increasing number of disputes created by the judges, some shocking decisions by HC judges and the issue of corruption.
The SC was forced to take the Suo Motu cognizance of the pronunciation of judges on public forums and decisions, which gave a slant meaning to the attempt to rape. The interaction/interview with the constitutional court judges has reduced the success rate in the last few months.
12 HCS – 101 names were sent by colleges of Andhra Pradesh, Allahabad, Bombay, Calcutta, Delhi, Gujarat, Manipur, Orissa, Patna, Patna, Rajasthan, Telangana and Uttarakhand. But CJI Khanna, and the collegium involved in Justice Gawai and Kant, patiently interviewed them all and finally only 49 of them were selected as suitable for appointment as HC judges, which is less than 50% of the recommended names.
“Thank God that we started interviewing the candidates. It not only gives us the first information about the legal skills and the experience of the lawyers, but also his suitability for the judge. It is tired to interview the candidates in length, but makes the selection fair,” the collegium judges told TOI.
