New Delhi: Justice JS Khehar, who is know for heading five-judge bench that quashed the controversial National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act, was on Tuesday recommended by Chief Justice of India (CJI) TS Thakur to be his successor.
Although no formal order has been issued, CJI Thakur, sticking to the established convention, has forwarded the recommendation to the law minister.
Conventionally, the seniormost judge of Supreme Court is appointed the CJI and Justice Khehar currently holds that distinction. Justice Khehar will be sworn in as the head of Indian judiciary on January 4, 2017, a day after Justice Thakur demits office Justice Khehar will be the 44th CJI, And will hold the post till 28th August 2017.
According to Hindustan Times, his appointment comes at a time when the judiciary and executive have failed to arrive at a consensus over the new procedure to appoint judges. Both have been at loggerheads since the October 2015 judgement when the Supreme Court of India struck down the NJAC Act, brought in to end decades-old collegium system where judges appointed judges.
HT quote’s undisclosed sources saying “It’s possible that Justice Khehar is able to work out a solution since the new collegium headed by him will consist of at least three judges, including him, who heard the NJAC case and asked the Centre to alter the MoP,”