New Delhi: The practice of interviewing the candidates being considered for the High Court’s Judgment will also continue even after taking oath as the next Chief Justice of India, the Supreme Court will continue even after taking over as the head of the court collegium.
In a conversation with Theprint Sunday, Justice Gawai pointed to the benefits of personal interaction with the candidates selected by the concerned High Courts for height.
He said that it enabled the candidates to understand the government for appointment and understand the candidates before applying the collegium members. This, he said, to some extent, avoid disputes that recently make unfair observation outside the court along with the orders of some judges.
He said, “We got the opportunity to test the capabilities of the lawyers selected by HC Collegium. And therefore, I believe that the process should continue,” he said.
Justice Gawai will take oath as the 52nd Chief Justice of India (CJI) on Wednesday. He is the first Buddhist businessman to hold the post and second Dalit after former CJI KG Balakrishnan to hold the top judicial position in India.
Justice Gawai will take over the reins from the outgoing CJI Sanjeev Khanna, who is currently the head of the three -member collegium deciding on the High Court judges. Apart from Justice Gawai, Justice Surya Kant, who will receive the CJI office after the retirement of Justice Gawai in late November, is also a member of a collegium.
The interview of lawyers for the bench in December last year was started in December last year, after the controversial statements made by an Allahabad HC Judge at a public event organized by the Legal Cell of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, a right -wing outfit.
In addition to continuing interview with practice, Justice Gavai will push more women lawyers as High Court judges in their six -month tenure.
“High Courts have been asked to search for women lawyers eligible for height for the bench. They have also been told that if the female advocates are less in number, the High Courts should find suitable candidates from women lawyers practicing in the Supreme Court, who meet the state, where the appointment is to be appointed,” he said.
Being the first generation lawyer, Justice Gawai is eager to encourage young advocates who do not have a family lineage in the legal profession, for judges.
However, he denied that there is brother -in -law in the judiciary and said that the data released by the Supreme Court on judges appointed in the High Courts in the last two years has proved the same.
He explained that if a judge’s child is meritorious, he should be given an opportunity to become a judge. However, for a person, he said, benchmark may be higher than those who have no relation in the judiciary.
Accepting the representation of backward castes and classes in the judiciary, Justice Gawai, however, about the opinion that in the name of inclusion and diversity, should not be compromised. “Qualification cannot be ignored,” he firmly said.
On assuming office, he said he would focus on cleaning all matters, especially those who raise important public issues such as free, pending in court.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
Also read: SC wants a relationship on its own decision of 2017 on the process of nominating senior advocates