The Supreme Court Collegium has expressed concerns over the Centre’s decision to withhold the appointment of Justice John Sathyan to the Madras High Court. The Collegium, in a statement released on Tuesday, stated that the Centre should have notified Justice Sathyan’s appointment before clearing proposals for other judges. The background of the matter dates back to March 2020 when the Collegium had recommended the appointment of Justice John Sathyan to the Madras High Court. However, the appointment was put on hold by the Centre citing certain adverse inputs against the judge.
The Collegium, in its statement, expressed its displeasure at the Centre’s decision to withhold the appointment of Justice Sathyan for such a long period. The Collegium also pointed out that the Centre had cleared proposals for the appointment of other judges to the High Court, even though Justice Sathyan’s appointment was pending. The statement read, “The Collegium is deeply concerned at the withholding of the appointment of Mr Justice John Sathyan to the Madras High Court for over two years, despite the Collegium’s reiterated recommendation for his appointment. In this connection, the Collegium has taken note of the fact that proposals for appointment of some other judges, whose inter se seniority is junior to that of Mr Justice John Sathyan, have already been processed and cleared by the Central Government.”
The Collegium further stated that it was not in favor of the Centre’s decision to keep the appointment of Justice Sathyan pending for such a long time without any valid reason. It also urged the Centre to expedite the appointment process of Justice Sathyan and ensure that such delays are not repeated in the future. The statement by the Collegium has raised concerns about the independence of the judiciary and the role of the Centre in the appointment of judges. The delay in the appointment of Justice Sathyan has also been criticized by the legal fraternity and various human rights organizations.
This development comes at a time when there is already a debate going on regarding the transparency and accountability of the Collegium system. It remains to be seen how the Centre responds to the Collegium’s statement and what steps are taken to address the concerns raised by the judiciary.
Written By- Lakshya Sharma students of 1st year BBA LLB at Vivekananda Institute of Professional Studies affiliated to Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University
