Supreme Court Justice PS Narasimha has recused himself from a crucial Public Interest Litigation addressing the nearly 11-year delay in finalising the Memorandum of Procedure for judicial appointments, raising concerns about transparency and selection criteria.
IMAGE: The Supreme Court of India. Photograph: ANI Photo
Key Points
- Supreme Court Justice PS Narasimha recused himself on Monday from a PIL concerning delays in finalising the revised Memorandum of Procedure (MoP).
- The MoP is a set of documents governing the appointment, elevation, and transfer of judges to the Supreme Court and High Courts.
- The PIL, filed by NGO Lok Prahari, highlights that the revised MoP has been unfinalised for nearly 11 years.
- Justice Narasimha’s recusal is due to his prior appearance as Additional Solicitor General in the NJAC proceedings.
- The petition also flagged the absence of clearly defined and publicly available criteria for evaluating and selecting candidates for appointment to the constitutional courts.
Supreme Court judge Justice PS Narasimha on Monday recused himself from hearing a PIL over the delay in finalising the revised Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) governing the appointment of judges to the Supreme Court and high courts.
Understanding The Memorandum Of Procedure
The MoP is a set of documents governing the appointment, elevation and transfer of high court and Supreme Court judges.
The PIL was listed for hearing before a bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe.
The petition filed by Lok Prahari, an NGO, stated that the revised MoP has remained unfinalised for nearly 11 years despite repeated correspondence between the Union government and the Supreme Court.
Justice Narasimha recused himself as he had earlier appeared as additional solicitor general in the NJAC proceedings before the top court.
The plea flagged the absence of clearly defined and publicly available criteria for evaluating and selecting candidates for appointment to the constitutional courts.
