CJI writes to HCs for expeditious filling of vacant posts, prioritising elevation of women judges
New Delhi (PTI): Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has written to chief justices of high courts for expeditious filling up of judicial vacancies with special focus on elevation of women judges for ensuring diversity in the benches.
According to sources, the CJI wrote to chief justices of 25 high courts last week and highlighted the vacancies of judges in higher judiciary and increase the representation of women in the benches.
The CJI, who has earlier flagged poor representation of women judges, also asked the chief justices not to delay the recommendation of collegiums and endeavour for taking steps for filling of the vacancies even before actual vacancy arises.
On March 8, while speaking at a function, CJI Kant batted for greater institutional reforms in the judiciary to bring more women into the legal field and said that high court collegiums should consider meritorious women members of the bar for judgeship as a norm and not as an exception.
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The CJI requested the high court collegiums to widen the zone of their consideration and include women advocates from their states who are practising in the Supreme Court for elevation.
He had highlighted that multiple women are currently serving as chief justices of different high courts, and the Punjab and Haryana High Court has as many as 18 sitting women judges.
Similarly, the Madras and Bombay High Courts also have about a dozen female judges each, he had said.
CJI Kant had also pointed out that women comprise approximately 36.3 per cent of the working strength of judicial officers at the district level.
"Friends, this is not a simple statistic; I would argue it reflects a generational shift. If we speak of a pipeline, it is here that it is visibly widening. And when the base of the system reflects greater inclusion, it is only a matter of time before that strength finds expression in the higher judiciary," he had said.
According to data tabled in Lok Sabha by Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal in February, 170 women judges have been appointed in the high courts since 2014, including 96 in the last five years, and six in the Supreme Court.
The data said 116 women judges were serving in the high courts as on February 6. It said that 308 posts of high court judges were vacant as against the sanctioned strength of 1122 judges.
As on February 6, the high courts have a working strength of 814 judges and the Supreme Court as on date has 33 judges including one woman judge.
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Punjab CM Mann meets President Murmu, seeks cancellation of membership of 6 RS members
Chandigarh (PTI): Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday met President Droupadi Murmu, demanding the termination of the membership of six Rajya Sabha MPs from Punjab who defected to the BJP and also pressed for the introduction of a constitutional provision allowing for the recall of members.
Accompanied by party MLAs and ministers, Mann visited Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi.
This meeting followed a significant setback for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on April 24, when seven of its 10 Rajya Sabha MPs -- Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, Sandeep Pathak, Harbhajan Singh, Rajendra Gupta, Vikramjit Sahney and Swati Maliwal -- quit and merged with the BJP, alleging that the party had strayed from its principles, values and core morals. Six of the seven MPs who left AAP hailed from Punjab.
After he met with the President, Mann addressed the media here, describing the departure of the seven MPs as a "murder" of the Constitution. He stated, "Seven MPs merging with another party is completely unconstitutional. I spoke to Rashtrapati ji in detail."
Mann pointed out that he told the President that the BJP holds only two MLA seats (in Punjab), yet now has six MPs in the Rajya Sabha. He questioned, "How can this be possible? Isn't it a mockery of the Constitution?
"If they are such revolutionaries at heart, then they should have resigned from their six seats. The AAP could have sent someone else," Mann said, taking a swipe at them.
He emphasised the need for a recall provision in the Constitution, referencing MP Raghav Chadha's previous demands for such a measure when members fail to meet public expectations.
"Have you lived up to the expectations of the people?" Mann challenged the MPs during his statement.
Mann also presented a letter to the President, signed by all AAP MLAs. He differentiated between the terms 'elected' and 'selected,' stating, "They were 'selected.' Therefore, their membership should be cancelled."
The President assured Mann that she would consult constitutional experts before responding.
Earlier in the day, Mann, along with party MLAs, departed for Delhi from Chandigarh.
Speaking to reporters in Chandigarh, Mann affirmed that all AAP MLAs stand united with the party. "Only I have been given time for the meeting," Mann said.
"The President is the guardian of the Constitution. She is the constitutional head of the country," he added.
Later in a post on X in Hindi, Mann said, "Our struggle to protect Punjab's rights and interests continues. Today, along with all AAP MLAs, I have left to discuss Punjab's burning issues and present the state's strong voice before the President.
As your public servant, our government remains fully committed to Punjab's prosperity and the safeguarding of the rights of every section of society."
The MLAs and ministers gathered at the chief minister's residence in the morning before heading to Delhi, carrying placards that read 'Punjab Mann De Naal' and 'Punjab's Traitors.'
The legislators left for Delhi in buses.
Mann had previously sought an appointment with the President to meet with party MLAs and demand the "recall" of the Rajya Sabha MPs who defected to the BJP. However, only Mann was given a time slot for the meeting.
