New Delhi, Sep 20: The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Centre to provide details on the number of judicial appointments recommended by the Collegium that have been reiterated but remain unaddressed, along with reasons for the delay and the level at which they are pending.
The bench, headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, issued the directive while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that sought the imposition of a time limit on the Centre for notifying judicial appointments recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium.
“The Supreme Court Collegium is not a search committee (for judges) whose recommendations can be stalled,” Chief Justice Chandrachud remarked during the hearing.
Attorney General (AG) R Venkataramani, representing the Centre, was asked to furnish a list of names reiterated by the Collegium and to explain why these appointments are still pending.
“If you can please make a list of the names reiterated and why it is pending and at what level it is pending… Show us why it is pending,” the CJI told the AG.
The bench noted that some judicial appointments are currently in the pipeline and expressed hope that these will be finalized soon. The court then adjourned the hearing, accommodating the AG’s request for more time.
The PIL, filed by advocate Harsh Vibhore Singhal, calls for fixing a time frame within which the Centre must notify appointments recommended by the Collegium. It argues that the absence of a fixed period allows the government to arbitrarily delay the process, which undermines judicial independence and disrupts the constitutional and democratic order.
Lawyer Prashant Bhushan also referenced the case of senior advocate Saurabh Kirpal, whose appointment as a high court judge has not yet been confirmed despite repeated recommendations by the Supreme Court Collegium.
