Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Wednesday (November 4) said that one of the factors he considers while recommending judges for elevation to the Supreme Court is their ability to function as a team member, given the increasing workload and filings before the apex court, LiveLaw reported. 'One of the factors which at least I have always kept in mind is how you are going to perform as a team member because Supreme Court is virtually now playing a T20 match with this much filing,' the CJI said.

Source: LiveLaw

He made the remarks while addressing a felicitation function organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) for the newly appointed judges Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh, who took oath on October 6, LiveLaw reported. Explaining the considerations in judicial appointments to the Supreme Court, the CJI said seniority, performance, regional representation and diversity are among the factors weighed by the Collegium.

Source: LiveLaw

Filings, public trust and pendency

The CJI observed that the enormous increase in filings reflected the growing public trust in the judiciary, while also contributing to rising pendency, LiveLaw reported. He also emphasised the importance of the Bench-Bar relationship in the development of law: 'The bar contributes to the development of law, not merely by presenting arguments in court, but by bringing independent perspectives, rigorous research and professional insight to the court's consideration. The bench in turn must remain open to persuasion and constructive criticism,' he said.

Source: LiveLaw

India Legal, in its report of the same ceremony, said the CJI commended the judicial acumen, administrative capabilities and institutional experience of the two judges, observing that their induction would considerably enrich the Supreme Court Bench, and reiterated his commitment to ensuring that administrative reforms and technological interventions within the Supreme Court premises are undertaken through meaningful consultation with the Bar.

Source: India Legal

Praise for the two new judges

The CJI commended Justice Sunita Agarwal for her administrative capabilities, particularly her work on judicial infrastructure in Gujarat, describing her as 'a hardcore administrator' in addition to being a judge, LiveLaw reported. Recalling Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh's tenure as Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court, he referred to an old matter pending for over 10-12 years which was decided during his tenure. Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, who was elevated along with Justices Agarwal and Singh, could not attend due to an 'unforeseen exigency at home'; the CJI later clarified that he had travelled to his hometown.

Source: LiveLaw

Justice Singh, addressing the gathering, described the occasion as a homecoming, recalling that he had come to Delhi around 42 years ago as a student and pursued his LLB at the University of Delhi, LiveLaw reported. Reflecting on his 22 years at the Bar, he said: 'It teaches you that behind the facts, figures, cases cited, there is far more important, a human story. A case may be one among hundreds listed before a court, but for the person standing in that courtroom, it may be the most important matter in the world.' Justice Agarwal, one of the three women judges currently serving in the Supreme Court, described her journey as that of 'an ordinary girl from a small town who dared to dream', calling the Allahabad High Court her 'high school', the Gujarat High Court her 'graduation and post-graduation', and the Supreme Court admission to a 'Ph.D. program', and urged young women lawyers: 'Do not wait for opportunities to come knock at your door. Be prepared to create them, and when an opportunity comes your way, seize it.'

Source: LiveLaw

Bar chief calls for institutional response

SCBA President Pradeep Kumar Rai thanked the CJI for initiatives concerning Bar welfare, including the expansion of the ladies' bar room, renovation of the canteen, medical facilities and approval for training lawyers in arbitration, and stressed the need for an institutional response to attempts to malign the judiciary, LiveLaw reported. 'An apology may be relevant, but institutional responsibility cannot be abandoned. The freedom of expression must be protected, but we must make the effort that integrity and independence of our constitutional institutions is not compromised anywhere,' he said. The function, held at the Main Auditorium of the Supreme Court's Administrative Buildings Complex, was attended by Justices Augustine George Masih, Prasanna B Varale and Arun Palli, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, SCBA Vice-President Rahul Kaushik and Secretary Pragya Baghel, among others; Mehta conveyed his wishes to the new judges on behalf of the Union Government and the Attorney General of India, wishing them a 'very very successful and satisfying tenure on the bench', LiveLaw reported.

Source: LiveLaw