CJI lashes out at the Centre for stalling the appointment of judges

New Delhi: In a sweeping remark on the Centre, the Supreme Court on Friday accused it of bringing the judiciary to a standstill by not filling up 478 vacancies in different High Courts of the country.

Making rather hard-hitting observation and seeking explanation from the Government during arguments on a PIL filed by Lt Col Anil Kabotra (Retd) through his counsel , the bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur said more than four million cases were pending in the High Courts and the system was on collapse. The bench gave Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi a list of 74 names, which was sent by the collegium headed by him for the appointment of judges and asked him to find the reason why the procedure had come to a standstill.. " If the Government has any objection on any name, send back but do not sit on the proposal. The logjam is not acceptable,'' the bench said sounding urgency on the matter.

The petitioner had contended that the fundamental right of litigants to speedy justice was being violated because of the long delay in disposal of cases.

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Making some passionate observations , the Apex Court said ''look at the retired Army officer's PIL. This means people have started feeling the pinch because of delay in dispensation of justice. The government must tell us what is the problem." The reamrks of the bench-headed by Thakur reminded of tearful farewell address of the CJI when he had expressed his anguish over delay in dispensation of the justice.

The bench further told the AG that the appointment of judges required immediately in the the High Court of Chhattisgarh, Madras, Allahabad, Patna, Jharkhand, Kerala, Karnataka and Guwahati .The same is with the appointment of chief justices to the HCs of Tripura, Sikkim, Kerala and Manipur. "'It is becoming increasingly difficult. We cannot ignore it anymore,” Thakur said.

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