Former Supreme Court judge Rohinton Fali Nariman on Saturday criticised the Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju for what he described as a "diatribe" against the Collegium system.
He also called out the Centre for "sitting on names of judges" recommended the Collegium, which he said was "deadly for the democracy of the country".
"This sitting on names is a very deadly thing against democracy of this country. Because what you are merely doing is you are waiting for a particular collegium and hoping that the next collegium changes its mind. Appointment must be done within a reasonable time period.
"It is how a constitution works. If you don't have fearless and independent judges say goodbye…There is nothing left…As a matter of fact, according to me if finally this last bastion falls or was to fall we would enter the abyss of a new dark age, in which R K Laxman's Common Man will ask himself only one question: if the salt has lost its savour, wherewith will shall it be salted?..." Nariman said while speaking at the Mumbai University while delivering the seventh Chief Justice M C Chagla Memorial Lecture.
Rijiju's stance against Collegium system
Kiren Rijiju has time and again questioned the Collegium system of appointment of judges, noting that it was "opaque and not transparent". Recently, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar said that the striking down of the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act by the Supreme Court was a severe compromise of parliamentary sovereignty.
"We have heard a diatribe by the Union law minister of the day against this process (appointment of judges). Let me assure the law minister that there are two very basic constitutional fundamentals he must know," Nariman said.
5-judge bench suggestion
The former apex court judge also called for a special five-judge bench to be formed and for it to pass a judgment that once a name is sent by the collegium to the government and if the latter has nothing to say within a period of 30 days, then it will be taken as it has nothing to say.
"One fundamental is that unlike the United States, a minimum of five unelected judges are trusted with the interpretation of the Constitution. So, this constitution bench is trusted to interpret the constitution and once they have done this it is your bounden duty as an authority to follow that judgment," Nariman said.
"You may criticise it…as a citizen I may criticise it…no problem…but never forget you are an authority and as an authority you are bound by the judgment…right or wrong," he added.
