Chief Justice of India B R Gavai said Thursday the Supreme Court is following up the question of pending appointments of high court judges with the Centre on its administrative side.
CJI Gavai said this as a pending plea to direct the Central Government to clear the recommendations by the Supreme Court Collegium without delay was mentioned before a bench also comprising Justice Vinod Chandran.
“We are also trying to pursue on the administrative side. Quite a few names have been cleared,” said CJI Gavai.
Appearing for the petitioner, Senior Advocate Arvind Datar and Advocate Prashant Bhushan pointed out that the last time the plea was listed was on December 5, 2023, before a bench presided by Justice S K Kaul. However, it was deleted from the cause list, they said.
Datar said some of the pending names were recommended in 2019, and reiterated in 2021 and 2022.
He said they were also losing out on seniority due to the pendency, adding that two lawyers, one from Mumbai and another from Delhi, had withdrawn their consent for their elevation as judges.
CJI Gavai said he is aware of the issue, and referred to one of them, a woman advocate from Delhi who has withdrawn consent. “The lady from Delhi… she was extraordinary,” said the CJI.
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Bhushan added that she was the topper at National Law School. The court said it will list the matter for a hearing.
