Justice Mishra’s appointment as NHRC Chief shows govt’s disregard for human rights: CJAR

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The Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reforms (CJAR) has issued a statement condemning the appointment of Justice Arun Mishra, former Supreme Court Judge as the Chairperson of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). It clearly states that Justice Mishra has “long history and proven track record, of being insensitive to human rights and democratic norms and also a known propensity of siding with the government on all important issues affecting the government”.

CJAR states that by appointing him as Head of NHRC, the government has demonstrated its disregard for human rights and its desire to subvert independent regulatory institutions of the country. It also points out that the trigger for the unprecedented joint press conference denouncing the abuse of power of master of roster by the then Chief Justice was the assignment of the case involving the death of Judge Loya to Justice Mishra.

The statement also underscored the order by the bench comprised Justice Mishra to evict lakhs of forest dwellers and several other cases including the Haren Pandya case, challenge of appointment of CVC, dismissing plea seeking probe into medical college scam and so on. The statement points towards many such cases which underline his controversial judicial legacy, and questions why so many other capable retired judges like Justice Madan Lokur, Justice Deepak Gupta, Justice Kurien Joseph, were not considered for the post.

“Apart from his record of siding with the government in every politically sensitive case, as a sitting judge he was unabashed about his open adulation for the Prime Minister when he called him a versatile genius, “who thinks globally and acts locally” at an International Judicial Conference last year, prompting many jurists to remark about the lack of propriety in his making such statements as a sitting judge. Another circumstance showing his proximity to the government was that he was allowed to retain his official residence for over 9 months beyond his retirement, despite the rule requiring him to vacate in a month,” the statement reads.

The CJAR states that this appointment has been designed to make the NHRC into a totally moribund institution and it signals the knell for the protection and promotion of human rights for which NHRC was set up.

Justice Arun Mishra’s judicial legacy at the apex court can be read here.