The Hindu : Judges: TN Govt.'s remarks ignored

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 30, 2003

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Judges: TN Govt.'s remarks ignored

By J. Venkatesan

NEW DELHI March 29. The appointment of eight new judges to the Madras High Court has come despite the Tamil Nadu Government's remarks expressing serious reservations against some of them and urging the Centre to reconsider their appointment.

According to highly-placed sources in the Union Law Ministry, the Supreme Court collegium of judges had, in November last, approved the names of all the eight persons selected from among the district judges and one out of three lawyers recommended by the High Court, ignoring the State Government's comments. The names of two lawyers were rejected by the collegium.

One advocate's name was later delinked by the Law Ministry and eight names were sent to the President for appointment. Even as the appointment of the advocate was under process, the eight judges were appointed, thus ending over two years of wait.

Even in 2001, all the six names recommended by the Bar for appointment as judges were rejected by the Supreme Court collegium on the ground that the ratio between the Bar and the subordinate judges was not maintained. As a result, a fresh panel of 11 names was sent, fulfilling the norms.

But when the Centre sought the State Government's comments on these names, the Jayalalithaa Government wanted the Centre to reconsider some of the appointees. It had taken well over a year for completion of the formalities preceding the appointment.

With these fresh appointments, the strength of judges in the High court has risen to 37, against the sanctioned 42 judges — 32 permanent and 10 additional judges.

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