Supreme Court bench shows displeasure on delisting of judges appointment case

NEW DELHI: A Supreme Court bench on Tuesday showed its displeasure on deletion of a matter related to delay in appointment of judges in High Courts from its cause list of cases.

"I have not deleted it or expressed unwillingness to take it up. I am sure Chief Justice of India is aware of it," Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul said.

Justice Kaul was heading a bench also comprising Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia said. The bench was scheduled to take up on December 5 petitions filed by Advocates Association, Bengaluru and others, which raised questions on delay on appointment of judges in constitutional courts.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for NGO CPIL, submitted the court should call for a report from the registry as it is very strange that the matter got deleted despite a judicial order fixing a date of hearing.

On this, Justice Kaul said, "Some things are left best unsaid. We will see."

The Chief Justice of India is the master of roster.

Justice Kaul, the second most judge of the Supreme Court is set to demit office upon his superannuation on December 25, 2023.

In November, the Supreme Court had pulled up the Centre over its 'pick and choose' approach in clearing names of candidates for appointment as judges to the higher judiciary.

Earlier too, it had raised its concern with Attorney General R Venkatramani over the Union government not acting on Collegium's recommendations for transfer and appointment of judges.