SC Refuses To Accept Center’s Plea To NJAC Case To Larger Bench

12 May, New Delhi

The Supreme Court Tuesday refused to accept Centre’s preliminary plea that petitions challenging the new law on appointment of judges in higher judiciary be referred to a larger bench of nine or eleven judges.
The five-judge constitutional bench, headed by Justice J S Khehar, said that it will hear the arguments on merit and also clarified that if required then the matter can be referred to a larger bench.

The Apex Court will hear arguments on the constitutional validity of National Judicial Appointments Commission, NJAC, Act during summer vacation from June 8.
The bench, also comprising Justices J Chelameswar, MB Lokur, Kurian Joseph and Adarsh Kumar Goel, directed that as an interim measure, additional High Court judges, whose present stint is due to end in near future, will continue in office for three months. It also said that Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi and others can advance arguments on merits.

The apex court had yesterday made it clear that it would first decide on the issue of referring the challenge to NJAC to a larger bench and then go into the merits of case.