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Top / The New Indian Express

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CJI says will consider petition to revive NJAC, end collegium system

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that it will consider a plea to revive the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) to replace the current collegium system for appointment of judges in the higher judiciary. Chief Justice of India Surya Kant made the remarks after an oral request for the NJAC was made by advocate Mathews Nedumpara during the hearing. The Supreme Court in 2015 had rejected the NJAC Act and the 99th Constitutional amendment, which sought to give politicians and civil society a final say in the appointment of judges to the higher courts. The counsel urged the court to reconsider the collegium system and reopen the NJAC judgment, adding that previous benches did not consider his submissions adequately. To that, the CJI said, Yes we will see. The bench was joined by foreign judges. The counsel added that the other benches did not consider the request. The CJI then said in Hindi, Ab hum Hindi mein jawab denge ..jaan boojhkar yeh kar rahe ho tum ..hum Hindi me baat karenge (Now Ill answer in Hindi youre doing this deliberately. We will speak in Hindi.) The counsel, however, said he did not understand Hindi. To that, the CJI added, We will consider the plea. The court in a majority of 4:1 rejected the NJAC Act and the Constitutional Amendment as unconstitutional and void in 2015. It held that the collegium system, as it existed before the NJAC, would again become operative. The bench, however, had admitted that all was not well even with the collegium system of judges appointing judges, and that it was time to improve the system of judicial appointments. Help us improve and better the system. You see the mind is a wonderful instrument. The variance of opinions when different minds and interests meet or collide is wonderful, Justice J S Khehar had said. Also in top court Country has right to bring back offenders: SC The country has a right to bring back offenders who are evading law, the Supreme Court said on Wednesday as it refused to entertain a plea by a man seeking withdrawal of a request made to the United Arab Emirates for his extradition. According to authorities, 153 cases are registered against petitioner Vijay Murlidhar Udhwani, who had travelled to Dubai in July 2022 and is alleged to be involved in organised illegal activities of bootlegging and other offences.

27 Nov 2025 8:05 am