New Delhi: Senior lawyer and former attorney general Soli Sorabjee on Saturday termed Chief Justice T.S Thakur’s criticism of the government in an open courtroom wherein he accused the ruling dispensation of bringing the judiciary to a standstill by stalling the appointment of judges to High Courts as ‘genuine and not theatrical’.
“Well the Chief Justice did express himself in strong words, but his grievances, rather agonies were genuine. It wasn’t theatrical. On account of non appointment of judges, when the government does not accept recommendations for a long time, it leads to great delays,” Sorabjee told ANI.
“I think what really moved him to say these strong words in the court was his real feeling that the government is stalling the appointments,” he added.
The former attorney general, however, said it is not the intention of the NDA Government to pack the judiciary.
“I have known Ravi Shankar Prasad and Arun Jaitley. It is not the intention of the NDA Government to pack the judiciary, but delays do take place,” he said.
He further said that it would be better if the government exchanges the course of delays with the Chief Justice and proceed with the appointments.
Sarabjee’s remark comes a day after the Supreme Court questioned the sense of “mistrust” and warned that it would “be forced to interfere judicially” to break the deadlock.
“We won’t tolerate a logjam in judges’ appointment.it is stifling the judicial work. We will fasten accountability now. Why is there mistrust? If this logjam continues, we will be forced to interfere judicially. We will ask for every file that was sent to you by the Collegium,” Chief Justice Thakur told Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi.
“Don’t try to bring this institution to a grinding halt,” he said.
The bench said that 75 names for appointment as judges have been recommended by the collegium in the last eight months after the Supreme Court quashed the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC), adding there was no response yet from the government on the same. (ANI)