Digital Desk: According to sources, the government has asked the
Chief Justice of India, UU Lalit, to name his successor.
Chief Justice UU Lalit will step down on November 8, and Justice
DY Chandrachud will take his place.
According to sources, the Union Law Ministry has written to the
Chief Justice asking him to name his successor.
There can be no meetings of the collegium, the top Supreme Court
panel that decides on judicial appointments, once the name of the next Chief
Justice is recommended, as is customary.
The letter was sent in the midst of a schism within the
collegium over the appointment of four Supreme Court justices, including a
senior advocate.
On September 30,
the collegium was to vote on the four nominees for the Supreme Court. However,
the group of judges was unable to meet because Justice Chandrachud was
presiding over his court until late in the afternoon due to a heavy caseload.
On October 1, the
court went into recess for the Dussehra holidays.
Two collegium judges have objected to Chief Justice Lalit's request for written feedback on the recommendation of four names. They have reportedly stated that their opinions cannot be written down and that, by convention, the names must be discussed in meetings.
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