Govt denial to elevate Justice Joseph to SC an 'unwarranted intrusion': CPI(M)

The CPI(M) has demanded immediate intervention of the President to ensure that laid-out procedure in the selection of judges is followed and the collegium's recommendation to elevate Justice K M Joseph to the Supreme Court is cleared.

In a statement today, the Left party accused the BJP-led NDA government of "unwarranted intrusion" into the selection process.

"The government has not cleared the appointment of Justice K M Joseph. This is an unwarranted intrusion into the selection process of a judge and will affect the independence of the judiciary.

"The President of India must immediately intervene to ensure that the laid-out procedure is followed and the appointment of Justice Joseph is cleared, " the CPI(M) said.

The government appointed senior advocate Indu Malhotra as a judge of the Supreme Court today and asked the collegium to reconsider its recommendation to elevate Justice Joseph, the Uttarakhand High Court Chief Justice, to the apex court.

Both the names were recommended by the collegium earlier this year.

The CPI(M) said that even though the collegium of the Supreme Court had forwarded the names of both Justice Joseph and Malhotra to be elevated as judges of the apex court, the government did not clear the appointment of Justice Joseph but only cleared the appointment of Malhotra after "considerable delay".