The Central government should implement earlier demand of the ruling BJP when it was in opposition for imposing a two-year ban on post-retirement appointment of retired judges of the Supreme Court of India and high courts, including at the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to avoid chances, if any, of pro-government decisions, especially towards end of tenure. The NHRC chief can be selected from amongst retired Supreme Court judges after two years of their retirement rather than present system of appointing only retired Chief Justice of India at the post. The present system has at times caused vacancy at the post for long like the one happened when Justice RC Lahoti declined to accept the post, and Justice YK Sabharwal was not considered fit to head NHRC. Simultaneously the Central government should accept recommendation of the Chief Justice of India made to the Prime Minister in June 2019 for raising retirement-age of high court judges to 65 years. Raising retirement-age of high court judges from present 62 years to 65 years will make it on a par with that of Supreme Court judges. It will effectively check tendency, if any, amongst some of the high court judges for lobbying to be elevated to Supreme Court for availing maximum tenure in judiciary. Also it should be made compulsory to appoint all high court judges compulsorily from outside their home states to check any influence on them by their local relations or former bar colleagues.
MADHU AGRAWAL,
Delhi