India’s collegium system needs “reconsideration”, former Supreme Court judge Justice AK Sikri said today.
Justice Sikri was speaking during a panel discussion at the launch of Chintan Chandrachud’s new book The Cases that India forgot today.
The collegium system of appointing judges to high courts and the Supreme Court needs reconsideration since it has led to selection of undeserving candidates and rejection of deserving ones, Justice AK Sikri said during the discussion.
“As far as Collegium system is concerned, it needs to be reconsidered. India is the only country where judges appoint judges,” he said.
The collegium comprises five of the senior-most sitting judges of the Supreme Court who recommend names of persons to be appointed to the higher judiciary.
Justice DY Chandrachud, Additional Solicitor General and senior advocate Madhavi Garodia Divan and managing partner of AZB & Partners Zia Mody were also present during the launch.
The panel was moderated by Shekhar Gupta, editor-in-chief of news website ThePrint.
The cases that India forgot talks about 10 legal cases that “have all but faded from public memory”. It also details some other cases that have been criticised for various reasons.
Chintan Chandrachud, son of Justice DY Chandrachud, is a lawyer at the London office of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP. He has previously authored a book titled Balanced Constitutionalism: Courts and Legislatures in India and the United Kingdom.