Representations on lack of transparency, objectivity in collegium system received: Rijiju in RS

Rijiju also said the government has sent suggestions for supplementing the Memorandum of Procedure for appointment of judges

Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday told the Rajya Sabha that the government has received representations from "diverse sources" on lack of transparency, objectivity and social diversity in the collegium system of appointment of Supreme Court and high court judges with the request to improve the mechanism.

In a written reply, Rijiju also said the government has sent suggestions for supplementing the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) for the appointment of judges to the high courts and Supreme Court. The MoP is a document which guides the appointment and transfer of judges in the higher judiciary.

"Representations from diverse sources on lack of transparency, objectivity and social diversity in the collegium system of appointment of judges to the constitutional courts (SC and the HCs) are received from time to time with the request to improve this system of appointment of judges," he said.

In a related but a separate reply, Rijiju said as on December 16, 154 proposals received from high courts were at various stages of processing between the government and the Supreme Court Collegium.

"While every effort is made to fill up the existing vacancies expeditiously, vacancies of judges in high courts do keep on arising on account of retirement, resignation or elevation of judges and also due to increase in the strength of judges," he said.

As on December 16, against the sanctioned strength of 34 judges, 28 judges were working in the Supreme Court leaving six vacancies to be filled. Against the sanctioned strength of 1,108, 775 judges were working in the 25 high courts, leaving 333 vacancies to be filled.

He pointed out that recommendations from high court collegiums are yet to be received for 179 vacancies in high courts.