In first meet, DYC-led collegium shifts an acting CJ, two HC judges | India News
This is the first meeting of the five judges since September 26, when they proposed the name of Bombay high court chief justice Dipankar Dutta to the Center for appointment as SC judge. The panel, which also included Judges Sanjay K Kaul, S Abdul Nazeer, KM Joseph and MR Shah, agreed to transfer Justice Raja to Rajasthan HC. It also decided to move Gujarat Justice of HC Nikhil WILL Kariel and Justice of Telangana HC An Abhishek Reddy to Patna HC. Sources say a solution to the problem is expected to be sent to the Center in the next day or two.
The council, then headed by the predecessor CJI UU Lalit, attempted to hold a meeting on September 30 to propose the appointment of four judges to the SC – three HC judges and a senior lawyer. The meeting could not take place.
Transfer of judges Gujarat, Telangana HC causes objections of lawyers
The Supreme Court consortium’s decision to transfer two high court judges, one each from Gujarat and Telangana, has upset lawyers in both places. Lawyers for Gujarat HC went on strike indefinitely on Thursday after transferring Justice Nikhil Kariel to Patna HC, while lawyers in Hyderabad held a protest and decided to boycott the hearings to protested the transfer of Justice A Abhishek Reddy to the capital Bihar.
Telangana HC’s opposing lawyers say they don’t understand why an upright judge would be removed, if not as part of a reprehensible “design”. They didn’t explain what could be the “design”.
For its part, the Gujarat HC delegation said the transfer of “the best, honest, upright and impartial judge” Judge Kariel “attacks the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary, the two main buildings that Our Constitution rests on it.”
The “indefinite strike” will be considered on Monday morning, the Gujarat High Court Advocates Association (GHAA) said, deciding to send a delegation to the Gujarat High Court. Chief Justice of India and other university judges, and four SC judges were elevated from Gujarat HC.
Following the protests, Chief Justice of Gujarat HC Aravind Kumar held a meeting with senior lawyers in the afternoon. Minutes later, the bar association decided to go on strike.
The association’s resolution said: “There will be strong opposition and opposition to such steps and members of the bar will protest indefinitely until the matter is resolved… ”
The GHAA has postponed its presidential election, scheduled for November 18, and called for a rally at the HC gates on Friday morning.
Previously, in November 2018, GHAA members protested SC university’s proposal to transfer Justice Akil Kureshi to Bombay HC. And a year ago it protested the transfer and promotion policy when Justice Jayant Patel was transferred from Karnataka HC to Allahabad HC.