[list-milap-x-y-z] CJI R M Lodha sets trend, says won't take up post-retirement assignment

CJI R M Lodha sets trend, says won't take up post-retirement assignment

Dhananjay Mahapatra,TNN | Sep 27, 2014, 04.04 AM IST

NEW DELHI: Chief Justice R M Lodha on Friday registered his dissent to his predecessor accepting a gubernatorial assignment and set a new trend by declaring that he would not accept any post-retirement assignment, be it constitutional or governmental. 

"You will not see me in any constitutional or governmental assignment after my retirement," Justice Lodha said while interacting with the media on his penultimate day in office. This significant statement could help dispel the public perception that judges of higher judiciary strive for post-retirement assignments. 

Justice Lodha also sees the National Judicial Appointments Commission as a potential threat to independence of judiciary, which he had termed non-negotiable. "If appointments of judges to the Supreme Court and high courts are done by a body of persons which include persons other than judges, then independence is likely to be compromised," he said. 

However, he was quick to clarify that his view was not shared by the UK which has an independent committee to select judges. "There is nothing called an absolute view. Though I feel that judges are best equipped to select judges, the NJAC could also prove to be good," he said.

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P.S. I am happy that this issue was raised by me in the year of 1996, before the then President of India, when it was informed me that the appointment of Chief Justice of India as Vice President of India is under political considerations, under possible compromise with the judicial work. 

 

TRUTH SHALL ALWAYS PREVAIL
Milap Choraria: National Convenor : Movement for Accountability to Public (MAP)
http://milapchoraria.tripod.com/msp