The Centre has told the apex court that ‘sensitive facts’ in possession of the government are the reason for delay in implementation of Supreme Court Collegium’s recommendations for appointment of Chief Justices in various High Courts. Attorney General R Venkataramani told a bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Mishra that he has received some information from the Central government which is of sensitive nature. He also told the apex court that making these issues public would neither be in the interest of the institution nor in the interest of the judges involved.
Venkataramani told the bench, “I would like to place the information and suggestions in a sealed cover for the perusal of the judges.” The matter will now be heard on September 20. The apex court is hearing a petition filed by advocate Harsh Vibhor Singhal seeking a direction to the Centre to fix a definite time frame for notifying the appointment of judges recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium.
The petition states that in the absence of a fixed time period, “the government arbitrarily delays the notification of appointments, thereby undermining judicial independence, endangering the constitutional and democratic system and insulting the dignity and vision of the judiciary.” The petition states that if no objection is raised to any name or the appointments are not notified by the end of such fixed period, the appointments of such judges should be deemed to have been notified.