Fittest should be appointed, not someone whom Collegium knows: Law Minister Rijiju | India News,The Indian Express

Asked how the process would be different if the government were to be involved, Rijiju said the government has an independent mechanism to collect information and carry out due diligence.

The “fittest” persons should be appointed as judges and not someone whom the collegium knows, he said.

The Union minister was speaking on `Reforming Judiciary’ at the India Today conclave here.

“I am not critical of the judiciary or the judges…I am not happy with the present system of the Supreme Court collegium. No system is perfect. We have to always strive and work towards a better system,” the minister said.

The system has to be accountable and transparent, he said, adding, “If it is opaque, then who else will speak up against it if not the concerned minister.” He was only “reflecting the thinking” of the people including the lawyer community and even some judges, he said.

“The basic fault with the present collegium system is that the judges are recommending those colleagues whom they know. Obviously, they would not recommend a judge they do not know,” Rijiju said.

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/rijiju-collegium-8250370/

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