The BJP government’s devious design to meddle in the functioning of the Judiciary must be thwarted head on. The woes of the Judiciary will only compound unless only outstanding persons being quality judges are appointed. Merely doubling the number of Judges without ensuring their excellence and eminence will only further mess up India’s already ailing Judiciary.
It is very essential that only persons with sound knowledge of law and impeccable integrity be selected as Judges even at the entry level in the lower Judiciary. The selection of judges through a very transparent laid down process has to be very meticulous as persons with suspect credentials and those who cannot interpret the law inflict irreversible damage to the justice delivery system. It is imperative that politicians should have no role whatsoever, direct or indirect in the selection, promotion and posting of Judges. So also it must be ensured that sitting and retired judges do not orchestrate their incompetent and unworthy relatives, friends and former chamber colleagues to sneak into judicial positions. Over the years we have witnessed some extremely good judges but in anguish have also seen those from the other end of the spectrum.
Lord Harry Woolf, a former Chief Justice of England had said “Like old clocks, our judicial institutions need to be oiled, wound up and set to true time”.
Maybe it’s high time for a concerted effort to cleanse the Augean Stables of Indian Judiciary by flushing out those undesirable judges who should never have landed where they are today.
