Questions raised about judicial appointments wrote SCBA a letter to CJI

New -Delhi, September 24 (IANS). A major controversy once again arose about the appointments in the Judiciary of India. The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) wrote a letter to Chief Justice of India -Justice Bhushan Ramakrishna Gawai demanding that the appointment of judges ensure transparency, qualification and liability in the appointment process of judges. The SCBA in his letter emphasized the need to finalize the Memorandum of Procedure (MOP) as soon as possible. The organization says that if the judiciary must be really independent and fair, the appointment process must be made systematically, transparent and fair. The SCBA pointed to several defects of the existing collegium system. The letter states that this system, which was initially created to ensure the freedom of the judiciary, is now burdened with its own burden. It is alleged that the talented advocates of the Supreme Court Balie are deliberately denied to become a judge in the Supreme Court of their home state, while having a lot of experience in national law and order and judicial perspectives. It is directly against the basic principle of the merit-based selection system. The SCBA also claimed that the representation of women and individuals from different backgrounds in the judiciary is extremely low. By February 2024, only 9.5 percent of the high courts and only 2.94 percent of the Supreme Court are female judges. The letter says that these figures not only show imbalances in judicial appointments, but also prove that the basis of appointments so far is based on informal networks and recommendations rather than fairness. The letter also mentions that the success of the court often makes a major contribution to the robberies and juniors, but only senior advocates who argue in the appointment of judicial posts receive precedence. This process rejects the actual extent of judicial capacity. The SCBA also made several important proposals to make the MOP effective and transparent. It is said to establish a permanent secretariat in every Supreme Court and the Supreme Court to preserve the information regarding candidates and vacancies and maintain institutional memory. The proposal states that it applies a transparent, application -based procedure for the appointment of judges, ensuring that each qualified candidate gets a proper opportunity. It is said to publish objective criteria for evaluating candidates, such as age, legal experience, published decisions and free work. The SCBA also said that some time ago, a concept of a proposed law called the appointment facility “was submitted to the government to the government, which should now be considered again. At the end of the letter, Scba President Vikas Singh wrote: “Transparency and restoration of merit in judicial appointments is the only way to return the public’s trust.” He insists that the college and the government finalize the MOP together and that there is no room to postpone the reform process. -Ians VKU/DSC