The seniormost Supreme Court judge, P. Sathasivam, appointed as the next Chief Justice of India on Saturday, has justified the collegium system of appointment of judges. He does not agree with the government’s proposal to set up a National Judicial Commission for appointing judges to the Supreme Court and the High Courts. Speaking to The Hindu , Justice Sathasivam said the collegium system was working well. “Even if certain deficiencies are there, the same can be eliminated by adhering to the time schedules in the procedure of appointments.”
Asked about Law Minister Kapil Sibal’s statement that the government wanted to review the system as it had no say in appointments, he said: “It cannot be claimed that the government has no role in the appointment of judges. The setting up of a National Judicial Commission will not solve the problem.”
