New Delhi: Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Tuesday said the Supreme Court Collegium considers multiple objective factors, including merit, performance, experience, inclusiveness and diversity, while recommending appointments to the Supreme Court and High Courts.
Addressing a felicitation ceremony organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) for the five newly appointed Supreme Court judges, the CJI said the Collegium sometimes faces criticism from people who are not familiar with the functioning of the judiciary or the process followed in judicial appointments.
“I can assure you that despite the casual criticism the Supreme Court Collegium sometimes faces, particularly from people who do not know the functioning of the judiciary and how the Supreme Court Collegium evolved, what kind of criteria it factors in, and the issues that are deliberated… the Collegium, while taking decisions, considers so many important and relevant factors while shortlisting Judges for appointment to the Supreme Court and even the High Courts. We follow the same criteria for the appointment of Chief Justices as well,” the CJI said.
Explaining the selection process, Justice Surya Kant said the Collegium evaluates judges on various parameters, including their performance, length of judicial service, positions held in the past and overall professional career, while inclusiveness and diversity also remain important considerations for elevation to the Supreme Court.
Expressing confidence in the recently appointed judges, the CJI said the Collegium had taken an objective and merit-based decision in recommending their elevation and voiced confidence that their performance would be outstanding.
Justice Surya Kant also underlined the importance of the relationship between the Supreme Court Bar and the Bench, describing it as one based on mutual trust and cooperation that contributes to the quality of justice delivered by the apex court.
He further observed that judges elevated to the Supreme Court shoulder a greater institutional responsibility, as the apex court carries the responsibility of maintaining and strengthening the faith and trust of the people while continuing to develop constitutional jurisprudence.
The CJI made the remarks at a felicitation ceremony organised by the SCBA for Justice Sheel Nagu, Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, Justice Arun Palli and Justice V. Mohana, who took oath as Supreme Court judges on June 2.
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