New Delhi: Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana has requested Chief
Justices of all the high courts to consider top court lawyers for elevation as
High Court judges, the Supreme Court Bar Association said on Tuesday.
SCBA
President and senior advocate Vikas Singh said the move followed his recent
letter to the CJI requesting him to consider lawyers practicing in the top
court for appointment as high court judges.
“CJI
has agreed to the request made by SCBA and has requested the Chief Justices of
the High Courts to consider lawyers practicing in the Supreme Court for
elevation to their High Courts,” Mr Singh said in a press release.
He
said the Executive Committee of SCBA has constituted a ‘‘search committee’’
which, besides him, comprises the bar body’’s vice president and senior member
Mahalakshmi Pavani and its four members -- Rakesh Dwivedi, Shekhar Naphade,
Vijay Hansaria and V Giri -- to facilitate the process of elevation by
identifying deserving and meritorious Supreme Court practitioners.
“The
High Court Collegium may then consider such names along with the lawyers from
the High Court Bar in order to choose the most deserving candidate amongst
those available for elevation,” he said.
Mr
Singh wrote to the CJI on May 31 that lawyers practicing in the top court have “vast
experience and best exposure in dealing with all kinds of issues relating to
civil, criminal, Constitutional, commercial law”.
“However,
they are rarely considered for elevation by the high court collegium as they do
not regularly practice before the high court and while being professionally
more meritorious than their colleagues at the high court, lose the opportunity
for being considered as such,” the letter said.
The
collegiums, as per the prevalent practice, headed by chief justices of high
courts shortlist and recommend names of lawyers practicing there and the
judicial officers under service category for appointment as high court judges.
The
SCBA President had said the advocates practicing in the Supreme Court are
hardly considered for appointment as high court judges by the collegiums.
He said the experienced and seasoned lawyers practicing in
the top court will prove to be deserving and meritorious judges of high courts.
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