On Wednesday, the Supreme Court announced that it will hear a public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed by the NGO Center for PIL against the Central Government for failing to clear Collegium recommendations.

In its petition, the NGO requests that the names of lawyers and judges who have been reaffirmed by the Collegium for appointment as high court judges be cleared for appointment by the Central Government as soon as possible. The CPIL petition highlighted numerous recommendations made by the Collegium but not implemented by the government.

The petition argued that the Central Government's failure to act on the files of those recommended by the Collegium for appointment as judges demonstrates a total disregard for the law established by the Supreme Court in the Second Judges case and the NJAC case.

Interestingly, on November 11, the Supreme Court stated that the Central Government is delaying judicial appointments by failing to act on the recommendations of the Collegium, and appointments are not being made despite the Collegium reiterating its recommendations.

In this manner, the government is indirectly compelling persons recommended by the Collegium to withdraw their names from consideration, according to a bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and AS Oka. The bench had highlighted 21 recommendations in total that are pending with the government in this regard.