Justice BR Gavai: Disturbing instances of judges canvassing for elevation

Speaking at the National Judicial Academy Conference in Kolkata on June 29, Justice Gavai said ever since he became a part of the SC Collegium, “many disturbing instances have come to my notice”.

Supreme Court judge Justice B R Gavai

Underlining the importance of judicial discipline, Supreme Court judge Justice B R Gavai has cautioned against what he said were “disturbing instances” of High Court judges not being punctual and canvassing for elevation to the top court and termed such canvassing as “injurious to the principle of discipline”.

Speaking at the National Judicial Academy Conference in Kolkata on June 29, Justice Gavai said ever since he became a part of the SC Collegium, “many disturbing instances have come to my notice”.

“Some of the judges in some of the High Courts do not sit on time. It is shocking to know that some of the judges, though the court timings are 10.30 a.m., sit at 11.30 a.m. and get up at 12.30 p.m. though the court timings are up to 1.30 p.m. It is more shocking to know that some of the Judges do not sit in the second half,” he said.

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Justice Gavai added that “it pains to mention that some of the judges even go to the extent of canvassing their candidature for elevation to the Supreme Court. They try to prove their case as to how they are more suitable for elevation to the Supreme Court than the other senior judges of the said court.”

Explaining the process of appointments, he pointed out that “the Collegium works on a database which has the information of all the judges who are in the zone of consideration. Apart from that, inputs from various sources, including the opinions of the Consultee Judges in the Supreme Court who had an occasion to examine the functioning of such judges are also taken into consideration.”

Ananthakrishnan G

Ananthakrishnan G. is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express. He has been in the field for over 23 years, kicking off his journalism career as a freelancer in the late nineties with bylines in The Hindu. A graduate in law, he practised in the District judiciary in Kerala for about two years before switching to journalism. His first permanent assignment was with The Press Trust of India in Delhi where he was assigned to cover the lower courts and various commissions of inquiry. He reported from the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court of India during his first stint with The Indian Express in 2005-2006. Currently, in his second stint with The Indian Express, he reports from the Supreme Court and writes on topics related to law and the administration of justice. Legal reporting is his forte though he has extensive experience in political and community reporting too, having spent a decade as Kerala state correspondent, The Times of India and The Telegraph. He is a stickler for facts and has several impactful stories to his credit. ... Read More

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