CJI D.Y. Chandrachud defended the collegium system of appointing judges to the higher judiciary.
On Monday he said that steps have been taken to ensure greater transparency. During this, he also spoke openly on the discussions taking place during the appointment process of judges.
Chief Justice Chandrachud, in an exclusive interview with PTI, said it is very easy to criticize the process, but every effort is being made by the collegium to ensure that the proper process of consultation is followed before the appointment of judges. .
He said, ‘It would not be appropriate to say that there is a lack of transparency in the collegium system. We have taken steps to ensure that there is greater transparency.
There should be a sense of impartiality in the decision-making process… When we consider the names of judges for appointment to the Supreme Court, we also consider the careers of sitting judges of the High Court.
“Therefore, the discussions taking place within the collegium cannot be made public for various reasons,” he said. Many of our discussions take place on the privacy of judges who are under consideration for appointment to the Supreme Court.
Those discussions, if they are to take place in a free and open environment, cannot be the subject of video recording or documentation. This is not the system which has been adopted by the Indian Constitution.
The Chief Justice said that keeping in mind the diverse society, it is also important that we learn to trust our own decision-making process.
He said, ‘It is very easy to criticize the process, but now that I have been a part of the process for many years, I can share with you what we have done to ensure a proper process of consultation before the appointment of a judge. Every possible effort is being made by the judges.
Justice Chandrachud said that as the Chief Justice of India, he is bound by the Constitution and the law as interpreted by the apex court.
He said, ‘We have a collegium system for the appointment of judges which has been a part of our judicial system since 1993 and we implement this system.
But having said that, it is our duty as existing members of the collegium system to maintain it and make it more transparent.
Make it more purposeful. And we have taken steps, decisive steps in that regard.