Justice TS Thakur takes over as India's 43rd Chief Justice on Thursday.
The judiciary faces its biggest ever challenges today, Chief Justice of India designate TS Thakur said on Wednesday afternoon. "People feel that the judiciary has kept the power to appoint judges upon themselves, then let them live up to the expectations," Justice Thakur, who will take over as India's 43rd Chief Justice tomorrow, said.
"Striking down of the constitutional amendment that aimed at reforming the system (of appointing judges) has been commented upon differently by different people," Justice said. "Whatever the logic of the judgement, that is now the law which has been declared," he added.
The Supreme Court had struck down, in October, the constitutional amendment to enable a judicial appointments commission. The judgment upheld the collegium system, under which top Supreme Court judges make appointments to the higher judiciary.
"The fallout of the judgement is that it has made the job of superior courts more onerous and difficult...Will work to ensure that the institution regains its past glory and lives up to expectations," he said.
Justice Thakur described the task of filling up 400 vacancies in various high courts and district courts as an important challenge. The judiciary will "need to find 400 people who are worthy of this," he said.
He described the 58000 cases pending before the Supreme Court as another area of concern, he said.