New Delhi:
The Supreme Court has decided to rule in its own favour; as a result, the Court will not have to share details of how judges are promoted to the Supreme Court.
The fact that the Supreme Court was even hearing this case, involving its own appeal, was controversial. Earlier this week, the court was asked to make public the correspondence it shared with the government when it recommended five high court judges for promotion to the Supreme Court. The order came from the Central Information Commission, based on an application under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
The Commission also said that the Court should share letters exchanged between the Chief Justice of India, and a Madras High Court judge, who had allegedly been approached by a Union Minister trying to influence a case in his court.
Unhappy with being asked to place letters on both issues in the public domain, the Supreme Court appealed to itself, and how now won a reprieve. The Court has stayed the Commission's orders.
Prashant Bhushan, the lawyer for the citizen who has filed the RTI application in the case, told the Court that "there is an impression that the Supreme Court is prompt in issuing orders if RTI case involved with others, but if it concerns court, the Supreme Court backtracks."
The two-judge bench headed by Sudershan Reddy responded, "There is no question of backtracking. The issue would be meticulously examined."
The fact that the Supreme Court was even hearing this case, involving its own appeal, was controversial. Earlier this week, the court was asked to make public the correspondence it shared with the government when it recommended five high court judges for promotion to the Supreme Court. The order came from the Central Information Commission, based on an application under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
The Commission also said that the Court should share letters exchanged between the Chief Justice of India, and a Madras High Court judge, who had allegedly been approached by a Union Minister trying to influence a case in his court.
Unhappy with being asked to place letters on both issues in the public domain, the Supreme Court appealed to itself, and how now won a reprieve. The Court has stayed the Commission's orders.
Prashant Bhushan, the lawyer for the citizen who has filed the RTI application in the case, told the Court that "there is an impression that the Supreme Court is prompt in issuing orders if RTI case involved with others, but if it concerns court, the Supreme Court backtracks."
The two-judge bench headed by Sudershan Reddy responded, "There is no question of backtracking. The issue would be meticulously examined."
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