[dropcap]G[/dropcap]OBBLE D. Gook read with great interest the reported exchange between activist counsel Prashant Bhushan and the Super Chief when a PIL relating to filling up of HC vacancies came up.
As a matter of fact there are only 686 judges against the sanctioned strength of 1,079 in 25 High Court, i.e., almost 40 percent vacancies.
When Bhushan, on behalf of the NGO – Centre for PIL – sought to target the government for sitting on recommendations made by the SC collegium, the Super Chief very candidly clarified that what’s pending with the government at present were just 27 recommendation files, but the SC Collegium itself had 70 to 80 proposals still awaiting its clearance!
In other words, the Super Chief admitted that if the government’s performance in this regard was supposed to be bad, theirs was at least three times worse!
Such candour at the apex level is exhilarating and welcome in an era of cover-ups everywhere.
This Law-merick celebrates this “candid confession”.
The battle of the backlog is never-ending
With nearly 40 lakh cases in HC’s pending
Is Government to blame
In the appointment game?
Or is it the Collegium that’s more unbending?
