The CJ was speaking at his farewell function organised on January 13 by the Bar.
“Only an independent and strong judiciary who is the watchdog of the Constitution of India, and is bestowed powers to uphold the Constitution, can maintain the robust democracy in our country,” he said.
The CJ also expressed hope that the ongoing tussle between the government and the judiciary becomes a ‘thing of the past’ soon.
“I sincerely hope and pray that the present tension between the judiciary and the government would be a thing of the past soon. It does not give the right message to the young members of the Bar, who in many High Courts, are having second thoughts for giving their consent for being appointed as judges,” CJ Sayed emphasised.
The CJ further agreed that though the Collegium system, which has been the source of friction between the government the Supreme Court, is not a perfect one, yet it is one of the best systems for appointing judges.
“Though the Collegium system may have some flaws, as Chief Justice, my first hand experience is that it is the Chief Justice along with the other members of the collegium judges, who also consult the other sitting judges, the Advocate General and other members of the Bar, and who have an opportunity to see the performance of the advocates in the court, are still the best judge for making a recommendations for appointment of judges in the Higher Judiciary,” he pointed out.
Source: Barandbench
