In a historic move, the Supreme Court collegium conducted its first-ever interaction with candidates recommended for judgeship outside Delhi, meeting candidates from the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana High Courts last weekend in Visakhapatnam. This was only the second instance of such interactions in the collegium’s nearly three-decade-old history and marked the first time the process was conducted outside the national capital.
The practice of personal interaction with recommended candidates was introduced by the Supreme Court collegium on December 22, 2024, when it assessed candidates for judgeship in the Allahabad, Bombay, and Rajasthan High Courts in Delhi.
In Visakhapatnam, the collegium, led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and comprising Justices B R Gavai and Surya Kant, assessed three candidates from Andhra Pradesh and five from Telangana. The purpose of these interactions is to evaluate the candidates’ personality, suitability, and competence for constitutional court judgeship.
This shift marks a departure from the traditional practice, where the collegium relied solely on detailed biodata submitted by High Court collegiums and inputs from governors and chief ministers.
By introducing personal interactions, the collegium aims to enhance the transparency and effectiveness of the judge selection process, enabling first-hand assessment of candidates’ demeanour and suitability for the judiciary.
Also Read: SC collegium breaks tradition, meets HC Judgeship candidates: Report
Also Read: SC collegium planning to erase nepotism in appointments for HC judges
Join Us on WhatsApp