Shahira Naim
Tribune News Service
Lucknow, July 3
The UP Bar Council has come out in support of the letter written by sitting Allahabad High Court judge Rangnath Pandey to Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleging “nepotism, favouritism and casteism” in the appointment of judges to higher courts.
UP Bar Council chief Hari Shankar Singh said lawyers supported the contents of the letter, which, he said, should be treated as a public interest document and the government should act upon it. At least two more HC judges who did not wish to be identified agreed with the letter’s content.
A senior judge in the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court said: “Everyone knows about the malaise in the judiciary. Justice Pandey is about to retire and hence he dared to vent out his feelings. I hope his letter will get the desired attention.”
Another judge in the same court said Justice Pandey’s letter reiterated the sentiments of several other judges. “The process of selecting judges needs to be overhauled if the dignity of the judiciary has to be maintained.”
Justice Pandey’s letter dated July 1 calls the present process of appointing judges as “unfortunate”. “In the last 34 years of my service as a judicial officer I have seen people with no or poor knowledge of the law being appointed as judges. The appointment of judges takes place behind closed doors and over cups of tea… and favouritism is the only relevant factor for appointments,” he wrote.
He has also pointed out the flaws in the collegium system of appointment of judges questioning its lack of transparency. “The whole process is secret and the names of judges are only disclosed after their appointment. Who gets appointed on what basis is kept under wraps and this process is very unfortunate,” he wrote.
Justice Pandey further criticized the SC’s 2015 verdict rejecting the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act and the 99th Constitutional Amendment.
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via Today’s News Headlines
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