Supreme Court Bar Association expresses ‘grave’ concern’ over differences between senior judges and CJI and says it will take the matter up with the CJI
The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) on Saturday passed a resolution saying the differences of four senior-most judges with Chief Justice Dipak Misra should be considered by the full bench of the apex court. Expressing “grave concern” over the differences between the senior judges and the CJI, SCBA President and senior advocate Vikas Singh said that all PILs should be looked into either by the CJI or senior judges who form part of the apex court collegium. Taking note of the concerns raised by four senior judges led by Justice J Chelameswar over assigning of cases, the bar body suggested that even the PILs listed for hearing on January 15 be transferred from other benches to either the bench headed by the CJI or benches led by the members of the collegium.
Singh said that at the emergency executive meeting, grave concern was expressed over the differences between the four judges and the CJI. On Friday, Justices Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, M B Lokur and Jurian Joseph had mounted a virtual revolt against the chief justice, listing a litany of problems including the assigning of cases.
The judges had said that there were certain issues afflicting the country’s highest court and warned that they could destroy Indian democracy. The unprecedented news conference had left the judiciary and observers stunned, leaving uncertain how this open dissension in the hallowed institution would be resolved.