New Delhi: Expressing its displeasure, Supreme Court said that the Centre keeping the names recommended for appointment of judges in the higher judiciary pending unacceptable, The India Express reported.
On Friday, the court observed that holding withholding the names was some sort of Centre's device to compel those whose names were recommended to withdraw their consent.
A bench of S K Kaul and A S Oka said that the appointment must be issued after the second reiteration.
"Post second reiteration, only the appointment has to be issued. Keeping names on hold is not acceptable; it is becoming some sort of a device to compel these persons to withdraw their names, as has happened," Bar and Bench quoted the court.
Later, the bench issued notice to the Union Law Ministry's secretary of Justice to file a response on a plea that alleged "wilful disobedience" of the April 2020 order by the top court on the appointment of judges within the specified time frame.
The mentioned plea was filed by the Advocate's Association Bengaluru. It had alleged in the plea about the unprecedented delays in the appointment of judges to the high courts and segregation of names. The plea said that both were "detrimental to the cherished principle of the independence of the judiciary", TIE quoted.
In its April 2020 order, SC had told the Union government to appoint judges within three to four weeks after the collegium reiterated its recommendations unanimously.
However, the SC bench posted the issue for further hearing on November 28.