Justice Chelameswar, senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, prepares to retires from office on June 22 after nearly seven years of remarkable tenure in the court. He always called for transparency in the functioning of the Collegium.
Justice Chelameswar was part of the nine-judge bench that gave the historic verdict declaring right to privacy a fundamental right and also he is the one who mounted a virtual revolt against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra.
In hard-hitting remarks, Justice Chelameswar had said, “Many things that are less than desirable happened in the last few months.”
“Unless this institution (Supreme Court) is preserved and it maintains its equanimity, democracy will not survive in this country, or any country. The survival of a democracy, it is said, the hallmark of a good democracy, is an independent and impartial judge,” he said.
Justice Chelameswar along with justices Ranjan Gogoi, MB Lokur and Kurian Joseph, had raised concern over “selective” allocation of cases, including the case of special CBI judge BH Loya.
Justice Chelameswar had also refused the invitation of the Supreme Court Bar Association to participate in a farewell function.
The process for possible elevation of KM Joseph, Uttarakhand High Court Chief Justice, as a Supreme Court judge may get delayed.
