Government clears 20 names for High Court judges

NEW DELHI: The Centre has cleared names of over 20 lawyers/lower court judges for elevation as high court judges. According to sources, the Prime Minister’s Office cleared names of over 20 candidates which were sent for approval by the law ministry.

As per available information, the names have now been sent to the office of the President for formal approval. Of the 20 cleared, a majority are from Madhya Pradesh.

For over a year appointment of judges to the higher judiciary has been hanging fire. Elevation of nearly 115 lawyers and lower court judges as HC judges across states was held up for following the constitution of the National Judicial Appointments Commission to replace the collegium system of appointing judges.

This had resulted in a long-drawn legal battle between the government and the judiciary before a Constitution Bench struck down NJAC.

ET was the first to report that the government had reached out to the Supreme Court for speedy appointment of judges to top courts, ending the stalemate.

The dilemma for the government was whether to process names according to the existing memorandum of procedure (MoP), which the Supreme Court had found lacunae in, or to wait for an “improved” MoP, which is yet to get a final nod by the government. So that there is no further confrontation, government had sought advice of the SC on the issue.

Giving a go ahead to the government to proceed as per the original MoP, the Supreme Court collegium led by Chief Justice Tirath Singh Thakur, without wasting time, had cleared names of over 35 probables for high court judgeship as per the original MoP.