Union govt suggests names to collegium, delays appointments and transfers: SC

The Supreme Court on Friday said the union government is recommending names for consideration for the appointment of judges and also delaying the completion of the process by rejecting the proposals of the collegium. An apex court bench headed by Justice Sanjay Kaul expressed concern over the union government returning the names reiterated by the collegium.

The Supreme Court also noted that the delay in the union government’s decision regarding the collegium’s recommendation for transfer of high court judges sends a wrong signal.

In November, the Union law ministry returned 22 names suggested by the collegium for appointment as judges. Of these, nine were reiterated by the collegium after being rejected once by the ministry. Justice Kaul pointed out that some of the names on the list sent by the union government were not recommendations of the collegium.

Justice Kaul said that the collegium would convene a meeting to decide on a course of action over the returned recommendations.

The 'rejected' names also include Malayali advocates Aravind Kumar Babu and KA Sanjeetha.

As many as 10 recommendations made by the collegium for transfer of judges are pending with the government. The government does not have much role in this. But the decision is being delayed. This is unacceptable, the bench said.

A bench comprising justices SK Kaul and AS Oka also enquired Attorney General R Venkataramani about the five names recommended by the collegium for elevation as judges of the Supreme Court.

"Would your Lordships defer this for a little while? I have some inputs given to me but I may have some difference of opinion on that," Venkataramani told the court.

(With inputs from PTI)