Overview
- At the SCBA conference, the Supreme Court judge sought a threadbare review of the collegium process, pointing to systemic mistrust of High Court chief justices’ recommendations.
- He warned that fear of transfers undermines a high court judge’s authority and said judicial independence requires security from such pressures.
- He criticized government litigation conduct, saying officials file unnecessary appeals to avoid scrutiny by investigative agencies and that panel lawyers are often chosen on party lines rather than merit.
- Recounting his Delhi High Court tenure, he detailed infrastructure and staffing failures, including newly recruited judges without courtrooms, extreme family court caseloads in Rohini, and courts sharing a single public prosecutor.
- He said recent statutes have driven caseloads—citing an NI Act amendment linked to 45% of Delhi trial work and over 7,000 IBC matters at the NCLT—and cautioned against the government’s retreat from arbitration in large disputes.