No consensus on Supreme Court picks during 75-min collegium meet | India News

NEW DELHI: In an unusual occurrence, a 75-minute meeting of the SC collegium on Tuesday involving CJI N V Ramana and Justices U U Lalit, D Y Chandrachud, Sanjay K Kaul and S Abdul Nazeer failed to achieve consensus either on filling three vacancies in the apex court or on appointment/transfer of HC chief justices.
As there was no prior intimation about the court numbers 1 to 5 not sitting at scheduled 10.30am because of the collegium meeting, waiting lawyers kept speculating over the delay. The collegium meetings, usually held after prior discussion among judges, end in consensus within 10- 15 minutes.
Tension marked the atmosphere in the meeting, being held in the backdrop of the law ministry delaying writing to CJI Ramana, who retires on August 26, to seek recommendation of Justice Lalit’s name as the next CJI. Conventionally, the ministry writes the letter a month before the retirement of the incumbent CJI, who then sends the recommendation to the ministry 30 days before his retirement.
Names of certain HC chief justices were also discussed in the collegium for elevation to the SC to fill the three vacancies. The collegium is likely to meet again on Wednesday to make a final attempt to break the deadlock.