Collegium system is vibrant, committed to its task: CJI Chandrachud

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud on Tuesday said that the recent appointment of two judges to the Supreme Court within 72 hours of their recommendation was a message to the nation that the Collegium is vibrant, active, and committed to its task.

Addressing a gathering of lawyers and judges attending the felicitation ceremony organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) in honour of recently appointed judges of the Supreme Court – justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and KV Viswanathan, the CJI added that the collegium alone should not be thanked for the recent appointments as the government is an equal stakeholder in the process.

“We must accept the fact that government is a stakeholder in the process and in these appointments which have come through in less than 72 hours after the names were recommended, I think we have sent the nation a message that the Collegium is vibrant, active, and committed to its task,” the CJI said.

Justice Chandrachud further said that in all the appointments made by Collegium, all judges of the Supreme Court are consulted, and that is the reason why each appointment made to the top court commands the respect and affection of its judges.

The Collegium, headed by CJI and comprising the four most senior judges of the Supreme Court, on May 16 recommended the two names for appointment to the Supreme Court — justice Mishra, then the chief justice of Andhra Pradesh high court with Chhattisgarh as his parent high court; and justice Viswanathan, then a senior advocate who was elevated directly from the bar and is expected to retire as the Chief Justice of India in 2030. They both took oath on May 19.

The CJI’s statement comes at a time when the latest proposal forwarded by Collegium to the Centre on July 5 recommending two judges for the top court — Telangana high court chief justice Ujjal Bhuyan (parent HC – Gauhati); and Kerala high court chief justice SV Bhatti (parent HC – Andhra Pradesh) — is pending with the government. The top court has a sanctioned strength of 34 judges and is presently has a working strength of 30 judges.