SC questions Centres on judicial posts

Country asks why finalization of Memorandum of  Procedure continues to 'linger'

Over a year and 10 months after a constitution Bench placed its faith in the government to iron out the dos and don'ts of judicial appointment to b Supreme Court and high courts, the Centre wants to know why.

On Friday, a Bench if Justice A.K. Goel and U.U Lalit issued a notice to the Attorney-General of India, the Centre's top law officer, to explain why the finalization of the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) for the appointment of judges to the Supreme Court and the high courts to "linger".

The Supreme Court also wants Attorney General k.K. Venugopal to address it on the delay in appointment of "regular" Chief Justices to various high courts.

The apex court underlined that the "arrangement" of Acting Chief Justices in high courts should not continue for more than a month.

In the Telangana and Andhra Pradesh High Court, Justice Ramesh Ranganathan has been Acting Cheif Justice since July 30, 2016. Earlier H.G. Ramesh was appointed Acting Chief Court, taking the tally high courts with Acting Chief Justices to seven. 

Amicus curiae appointed

The bench posted the hearing for November 14 while appointing senior advocate K.V. Vishwanathan as amicus curiae. It recorded in a written order that it has been about two years since a five-judge Constitution Bench, in December 2015, tasked the Centre with the drafting and finalization of the MoP.