Delhi: The collegiums have stopped the process of elevating four people, including a senior Malayali lawyer, as Supreme Court judges. The action was taken in the event that the meeting could not be held on September 30. The collegium said in a statement that judges DY Chandrachud and Abdul Naseer had opposed the Chief Justice's request to appoint judges through letters. The collegiums ended the proceedings after the Centre issued a letter to recommend the new Chief Justice. Senior advocate K.V. Viswanathan, Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Ravi Shankar Jha, Patna High Court Chief Justice Sanjay Karol, Manipur High Court Chief Justice P.V. The recommendation was to elevate Sanjay Kumar as a Supreme Court judge. The Union Law Ministry had asked Supreme Court Chief Justice UU Lalit to suggest the name of the successor. The letter comes as Lalit's term ends next month. Following this, the possibility of elevating four people as judges was heard. Meanwhile, the Centre has asked the Chief Justice to suggest the name of the successor.
The Central Government is appointing the 50th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The law ministry issued the letter with just a month left for Lalit to retire. It is customary for Supreme Court judges to nominate the name of the next Chief Justice one month before their retirement. The Center issued the letter ahead of this. UU Lalit will retire from the post of Chief Justice on the eighth of next month.
With this, among the current Supreme Court judges, Justice D.Y. Chandrachudina will be the next to sit. Lalit has been the Chief Justice for less than 80 days. There were reports that the Center may extend the tenure of UU Lalit, who heads one of the constitutional benches that examine important cases. But it is certain that there is no possibility of that in the new situation.
