Shivangi Prakash-
Published on: August 7, 2021, at 13:44 IST
Supreme Court expressed its displeasure at the Centre for not filling up various vacancies in tribunals across the country, calling it a “sorry state of affairs”.
Chief Justice of India N V Ramana, heading a two-judge bench, said vacancies of 20 presiding officers, 110 judicial members, and 111 technical members were pending across the country in various tribunals.
CJI told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, “We don’t know what is the stand as you want to continue to tribunals or close it down.”
The Bench also expressed its suspicion as to whether some lobbies have been working to not fill these vacancies. Chief Justice Ramana read out in open Court the details of over 200 vacancies in key tribunals, including the National Green Tribunal, Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, Central Administrative Tribunal, only to name a few, making them redundant in their slow death.
The Court said over 15 tribunals did not even have presiding officers. Recommendations of names by the selection committees led by sitting Supreme Court judges to fill up the vacancies have been largely ignored by the government.
When the Solicitor General told the bench that the Attorney General for India KK Venugopal will assist the Court in this matter as he is handling a case related to Tribunals, the CJI said that the bench does not want to bother the AG and required the SG to get the necessary instructions.
The bench, also consisting of Justice Surya Kant, asked the Centre to take a clear stand within a week, saying, “If not, then we will call all top officers across the country to appear before us”.
Responding to the Court’s statement that it will summon officers if the Centre does not take a stand in a week, Mehta said, that will not be needed and requested 10 days.
Granting the request, the Court fixed August 16 to hear the matter next.
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