The people of Kerala would only be happy to welcome the > former Chief Justice of India, P. Sathasivam , as the State’s Governor considering his high degree of personal integrity. This is the first time a retired CJI has been appointed Governor. But one hopes the move will not become a precedent. The observation by Arun Jaitley, then Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, that “in some cases the pre-retirement judicial conduct of a judge is influenced by the desire to get a post-retirement assignment,” surely points to the ground situation. It would be better to ban by law post-retirement appointments for judges.
P.R.V. Raja,
Pandalam
A Governor is expected to be apolitical, one who ensures that a State runs according to the Constitution. A person with a legal background is indeed the best one for the job. But tempting judges with post-retirement posts would potentially compromise judicial independence. Thus what could theoretically be a strong decision may have to be rethought in view of real-world implications.
D. Harikrishnan,
Thiruvananthapuram
With so many politicians facing so many cases in various courts, the trend of appointing judges as Governors carries the danger of influencing the judiciary through allurement. It would have been nice on the part of Justice Sathasivam to decline the offer.
A.G. Rajmohan,
Anantapur
A former CJI became a member of the Rajya Sabha in the past. Many politicians who don’t even know the Constitution well have been posted as Governors. Surely, a former Chief Justice who knows the Constitution will be able to handle any crisis well.
Deepak Dabla,
Faridabad
When the ruling party appoints politicians and former Ministers as Governors, it comes in for criticism. It is feared that the Governors will be partisan. The judiciary commands respect and enjoys more credibility than the executive and the legislature. It is the last shelter for the common man to seek justice. In view of this, the Centre has done the right thing by boldly choosing a legal luminary, who served as the CJI, as Governor of Kerala.
K. Jayanthi,
Chennai
If gubernatorial posts are held by retired judges, they will act well within the letter and spirit of the Constitution. By and large, retired High Court and Supreme Court judges are apolitical. And, for Governors with a solid judicial background, smoothly discharging constitutional duties will be easy.
K. Pradeep,
Chennai
