Judges appointments: HCs’ views on RTI queries sought
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New Delhi: Faced with increasing number of queries under Right to Information
(RTI) Act on judges’ appointment to higher judiciary, the Supreme Court on
Monday sought the views of all High Courts on this issue.
Responses of HCs were sought by a Bench comprising Justices B Sudershan Reddy
and S S Nijjar, which was hearing a petition filed by the CPIO of the apex
court challenging an order of the Central Information Commission directing
making public such information.
“We see that such matters frequently arise and High Courts are dealing with
these problems. Why should we not issue notice to the registrar generals of all
High Courts,” the Bench asked.
On an application from S C Agarwal, the CIC, apart from asking the SC to give
information about the appointment process of judges, had also directed the apex
court to furnish information under RTI about the correspondence between the
Chief Justice of India and the CJs of HCs.
It had also allowed the plea of Agarwal asking the SC to disclose the
communication between Justice R Regupathy of Madras HC to the CJI after he
alleged that a central minister had tried to influence him in a case. Attorney
general G E Vahanvati, who questioned the CIC decision, argued that if opinions
expressed by judges were to be laid out in the public domain, nobody could
expect a frank opinion.
