CJI slams media speculation on selection process

New Delhi, August 18

Ending a two-year-long deadlock, the Supreme Court Collegium has recommended nine names, including those of three woman high court judges for elevation to the top court, it was officially announced on Wednesday.

As the news about the Collegium’s decision became public in a section of the media even before official announcement, the CJI took strong exception to it, saying, “Media must respect the sanctity of the selection process.”

The process of appointment of judges is “sacrosanct” and the media must recognise its sanctity, the CJI said on Wednesday while expressing anguish and terming “very unfortunate” certain speculative news reports about the Collegium meeting.

The recommendations of the five-member Collegium headed by the CJI, if accepted, are likely to give the country its first woman CJI in 2027 — Justice BV Nagarathna of the Karnataka High Court.

Other eight names recommended for elevation are: Karnataka Chief Justice AS Oka, Gujarat Chief Justice Vikram Nath, Sikkim Chief Justice Jitendra Kumar Maheshwari, Telangana Chief Justice Hima Kohli, Kerala judge CT Ravi Kumar, Madras HC judge MM Sundersh, Gujarat HC judge Bela M Trivedi and senior advocate and former Additional Solicitor General PS Narasimha.

Besides, Justice Nagarathna, Justice Vikram Nath and senior advocate Narasimha will also go on to become CJI, if the line of succession is not disturbed.

The collegium’s decision was taken in a meeting on August 17, five days after the retirement of Justice RF Nariman, who is said to have insisted on elevation of Tripura Chief Justice Akil A Kureshi before any other name is considered.

Due to the stalemate, the Collegium failed to recommend any name for the appointment of judges to the Supreme Court after August 28, 2019, when it made the last recommendation.

The Supreme Court, which has a sanctioned strength of 34 judges, including the CJI, has been functioning with only 25 judges. With the retirement of Justice Navin Sinha on Wednesday, the actual strength of the top court will come down to 24.

Once these recommendations are processed, the top court’s strength would go up to 33. — TNS