CJI disappointed over PM not mentioning judges' appointment in I-Day speech

Asserting that he has reached the peak of his career and was not afraid to speak his mind, Chief Justice of India T.S. Thakur on Monday expressed his disappointment at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day address, saying he was hoping that there would be a mention on appointment of judges in his speech.

The CJI, who hoisted the tri-colour at the Supreme Court lawn, called on the Prime Minister to take action for the sake of justice for the people, who had great expectation from the nation's legal system.

"I was hoping that there would be talks about justice, about the appointment of judges. These days, cases are piling up and so are people's expectations, which is making things very difficult. Which is why I have time and again made this request that attention be given to this matter as well," he said.

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that he admired the CJI's concern for justice.

"I really really admire CJI's courage, conviction and his concern for justice," he said in a tweet.

The Supreme Court on Friday had slammed the Narendra Modi-led government accusing it of "sitting over" judges' appointments.

The CJI sought a reply from Attorney General Mukul Rohtagi over the delay in appointment of judges as recommended by the collegium.

Slamming the government over the delay, he said, "Don't force us to pass orders to remove logjam".

The apex court asserted that time has come to take judicial note of appointments and transfers, which have not been made despite the collegiums' clearance eight months ago.

Regarding the collegium, the apex court stated that 75 names of High Court judges have been cleared, but have not been approved.

"The vacancies in High Courts have increased to 43 percent when the pendency in high courts has reached to four million cases. If the government has any objection on the names, it should be sent back to the collegiums with relevant matter, but the process can't be stalled," the court observed.