Supreme Court Collegium Interviews 54 High Court Judge Candidates

In a significant move to fill vacant posts in High Courts, the Supreme Court Collegium, led by Chief Justice of India BR Gavai along with Justices Surya Kant and Vikram Nath, recently held detailed interactions with 54 candidates for High Court judgeships.

When Did This Happen?

The Collegium’s meetings and interviews were held over two days — starting from Tuesday, July 1. These sessions are part of the larger effort to address the high number of vacancies in High Courts across the country.

Which High Courts Are Involved?

The candidates being considered are for vacancies in various High Courts, including:

• Madhya Pradesh

• Patna

• Allahabad

• Telangana

• Andhra Pradesh

• Gauhati

• Delhi

  
  

How Many Candidates Were Interviewed?

According to sources close to the Collegium:

• 20 candidates were interviewed on the first day.

• 34 candidates were interviewed on the second day.

  
  

What’s Different This Time?

This time, the Collegium has chosen a more thorough process. Instead of relying only on written recommendations and service records, they are personally interacting with each candidate to assess their suitability, capability, and integrity.

Some candidates faced half-hour-long interviews, especially if their profiles needed closer examination. Others had shorter meetings if the facts were clear.

This approach shows that the Collegium is taking extra care to ensure that only deserving and suitable candidates are recommended for judgeship.

Why This Change?

The more detailed selection process comes at a time when the judiciary is under public and media scrutiny due to recent controversies:

• Justice Yashwant Varma came under the spotlight after allegations about unaccounted cash found at his residence.

• The Allahabad High Court’s Justice Shekhar Yadav also attracted controversy for remarks that were seen as targeting the Muslim community.

Such incidents have raised concerns about the credibility and accountability of judicial appointments.

The Bigger Picture:

As of July 1, there are 371 vacancies across the 25 High Courts in India. These vacant posts add to the heavy workload of existing judges, leading to delays and backlogs.

Filling up these posts with capable and honest judges is crucial to ensure that people get timely justice.

Key Takeaway:

This round of interactions shows that the Supreme Court Collegium is serious about choosing the right people for the judiciary. By personally interacting with candidates, they aim to strengthen public trust and ensure that only deserving candidates enter the High Courts.

The Indian judiciary is at a crucial point, and transparent and careful appointments will go a long way in keeping the system fair and strong.