Top court refuses to stay new ECs’ appointment

The Supreme Court Friday declined to stay the appointment of two new Election Commissioners under a 2023 law that excluded the Chief Justice of India from the selection panel.

Hearing petitions challenging the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, a three-judge bench presided by Justice Sanjiv Khanna pointed out that “the matter had come up twice” before the court which had “on both occasions…pointed out that normally we do not stay by an interim order, a legislation.”

The court will hear the matter on March 21.