Supreme Court refuses to frame norms to bar superior judges from taking govt assignments

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court refused to frame norms that would bar a superior court judge from taking up any government assignment for at least two years.

The bench comprising CJI HL Dattu along with justices SA Bobde and AM Sapre dismissed a petition filed by a political activist, which referred to such post-retirement jobs as sinecures that could erode the judiciary’s independence. The court didn’t pass an order explaining its decision on Wednesday.

SC judges, barred from practicing in the top court or in any other high courts to maintain the dignity of their former posts, were now accepting positions lower in stature than their previously held posts, the advocate for the petitioner said.

Ex-CJI P Sathasivam recently accepted an appointment as the Kerala governor. In such a case, the oath of office is administered by a person of a lower rank, such as a HC chief justice, advocate Deepak Prakash contended.