The Law Minister’s comments came days after the Supreme Court Collegium headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, in an unprecedented move, made public both its reasons for reiteration and the government’s objections for the appointment of at least three advocates as High Court judges.
ESCALATING the debate over appointment of judges to higher judiciary, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju Sunday shared an interview clip of a retired Delhi High Court judge who said the Supreme Court had “hijacked” the Constitution by deciding to appoint its own judges. “Actually majority of the people have similar sane views,” Rijiju said in a tweet on Sunday, a day after sharing the video clip of the interview.In the clip shared by Rijiju on Saturday, former Delhi High Court Judge RS Sodhi is seen saying that the “Supreme Court has, for the first time, hijacked the Constitution. It said we will appoint the judges and that the government will have no role in this.” The interview was uploaded on YouTube on November 23, 2022. Justice Sodhi, who was appointed a judge of the Delhi High Court in 1999, retired in 2007, and is now a leading criminal lawyer and senior advocate at the Supreme Court.Voice of a Judge… Real beauty of Indian Democracy is – it’s success. People rule themselves through their representatives. Elected representatives represent the interests of the People & make laws. Our Judiciary is independent and our Constitution is Supreme,” Rijiju tweeted while sharing the interview Saturday. “Actually majority of the people have similar sane views. It’s only those people who disregard the provisions of the Constitution and mandate of the people think that they are above the Constitution of India,” he tweeted Sunday morning.Later Sunday evening, Rijiju tweeted again and said, “All the three organs of our state i.e Legislative, Executive and Judiciary must work together in the larger interest of the nation.”The Law Minister’s comments came days after the Supreme Court Collegium headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, in an unprecedented move, made public both its reasons for reiteration and the government’s objections for the appointment of at least three advocates as High Court judges.