The Supreme Court gave the government until October 9 to produce "some results" or prepare to face "problems," taking a dim view of the 86 collegium recommendations for judgeships that are still pending with the Centre as well as the transfers of 26 high court judges and the appointment of one HC's chief justice.
A panel of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia was at pains to emphasise that the Centre had done nothing in the seven months since the case's previous hearing in February. According to the bench, the names have been on the government's agenda for the past 10 months.
“You will have to come back with something, otherwise there will be a problem for you. Come with some results. The matter is being listed after seven months but nothing happened in the seven months. Names recommended by high courts have not reached the Supreme Court,” the bench told attorney general R Venkataramani, who sought one week’s adjournment in the case.
The bench thereafter gave details of the pending names before the Centre - 70 names sent by HCs but no decision taken to send them to the SC collegium; nine names sent by the SC collegium for the first time; and seven others whose names were reiterated by the collegium after the Centre sent the recommendations for reconsideration. The bench further elaborated that the SC decision to transfer 26 high court judges is also pending and so does the collegium's recommendation on appointment of the chief justice to a “very sensitive” HC.