Supreme Court reserves verdict on NJAC validity
The Centre had maintained that the NJAC would be more independent than the collegium system
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2015-07-16 03:03 GMT
New Delhi: The Supreme Court reserved verdict on the petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the National Judicial Appointments Commission law. It said the interim order passed on May 12 directing the Centre to extend by three months the services of additional judges whose two-year term was about to end will continue till the pronouncement of the verdict.
A five-judge Constitution bench comprising Justices J.S. Khehar, J. Chelameswar, Madan B. Lokur, Kurian Joseph and A.K. Goel heard the counsel for petitioners and the Attorney General and others for 32 days spread over three months from April 14.
The Centre had maintained that the NJAC would be more independent than the collegium system. It said “The Commission comprising three judges, law minister and two eminent persons would create a database for selection of best candidates.
“Appointments were made by the Executive in consultation with the CJI for four decades and later the judiciary took over the appointments under the collegium system. “Now the government had created a middle path vesting equal power to the Judiciary and the Executive.”
It had put the blame on CJI H.L. Dattu for the present stalemate as he refused to participate in the meeting to select two eminent persons to the six-member body. On behalf of the petitioners, senior advocate Fali Nariman had put the blame on the Centre.