New Delhi: The Centre on Thursday informed a bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud that it will provide some details next week regarding recommendations made by the Collegium on the appointment of Chief Justices in several High Courts in the country.
Attorney General R Venkataramani contended before a bench, also comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, that he will be providing some details about the Collegium's recommendations. The top lawyer was seeking an adjournment of the hearing on a plea which is listed for hearing on Friday.
"Please list the plea after a week," said the AG. The bench said the submissions seeking adjournment can be made tomorrow, as the matter is already on board.
The bench informed the law officer that the Jharkhand government has filed a contempt petition against the Centre for not appointing the Chief Justice in the High Court in the state. The AG said he is not aware of it.
The Jharkhand government moved the top court against the Centre for not clearing the recommendation made by the Collegium to appoint Justice M S Ramachandra Rao as the Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court.
On September 13, the AG had told the apex court that the Centre had received some "sensitive material" that had led to a delay in implementation of the apex court Collegium's recommendations on appointments of Chief Justices to High Courts.
The top law officer said he received certain inputs from the Union government which are sensitive in nature and revealing them in the public domain would neither be in the interest of the institution nor of the judges involved.
The apex court was hearing a PIL filed by advocate Harsh Vibhore Singhal, who sought a direction that a time limit be fixed for the Centre to notify the appointment of judges recommended by the apex court collegium.
