‘Sensitive material’ delaying clearance of collegium’s recommendations, govt. tells SC

• The Attorney General of India informed a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud that he would like to hand over the information along with his suggestions in a sealed cover.

Highlights:

• In a recent Supreme Court hearing, Attorney General of India R. Venkataramani, representing the Centre, revealed that "sensitive material" is causing delays in clearing the Collegium’s recommendations for the appointments of Chief Justices to various High Courts.

Sealed Cover Submission:

• During the proceedings, the Attorney General informed a Bench led by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud that he intends to submit the sensitive information along with his suggestions in a sealed cover for the court's review. The Chief Justice agreed to this proposal and scheduled the next hearing for September 20.

Petition Seeking Deadlines for Judicial Appointments:

• The hearing stems from a petition filed by advocate Harsh Vibhore Singhal, which urges the court to set a fixed timeline for the government to clear Collegium recommendations for judicial appointments.
• The petition criticizes the government for arbitrarily delaying the notification of appointments, arguing that this undermines judicial independence and threatens the constitutional and democratic order.

Previous Concerns on Delays:

• In a January 2023 hearing, the Supreme Court had expressed concerns about the government's delays in notifying judicial appointments, noting that such postponements could give the impression that third-party interests were influencing the government’s decisions regarding judges.
• The court emphasized that these delays adversely impact the administration of justice.

Prelims Takeaways:

• Attorney General of India