Brushing aside a plea against the elevation of four Judges to the Supreme Court, the Delhi High Court on Thursday refused to stay their swearing-in on the ostensible ground raised by two lawyers about the apex court’s collegium system not being “defect-free and fool-proof”.
Justice Manmohan of the Delhi High Court turned down an oral plea made by one of the petitioners, R.P. Luthra, saying that he had not filed any application for an early hearing of his petition.
“I cannot change the procedure...You have to file a proper application and get it listed before hearing of the matter,” said the Judge, pointing out that both petitions were already fixed for Friday.
The other petitioner, meanwhile, is Mumbai-based lawyer Mathews J. Nedumpara.
The petitions have sought directions restraining the Supreme Court’s collegium from recommending appointments to the higher judiciary and the Union government from acting on the recommendations.
Two lawyers had said that the apex court’s collegium system was not “fool-proof”
