SC judges to decide response to CIC direction: CJI

The Supreme Court judges will decide on the response to the Central Information Commission's direction to it to make public the records of appointment of three judges of the apex court who superseded their seniors.

The Supreme Court judges will decide on the response to the Central Information Commission's direction to it to make public the records of appointment of three judges of the apex court who superseded their seniors.

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Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan also said the judiciary was not opposed to a new method of appointment of judges of the higher judiciary if Parliament enacts a law.

"Our judges will decide," said Justice Balakrishnan when asked by reporters on CIC's direction to the Supreme Court on the issue.

He was speaking on the sidelines of National Law Day celebrations held at the Supreme Court premises.

The Commission, however, had asked the apex court to severe the information which can be termed as personal details of the persons mentioned in the records or correspondence available with the Chief Justice of India on appointment of three Supreme Court judges.

RTI activist Subhash Chandra Agrawal had sought making public complete correspondence between the authorities concerned relating to appointment of Justices H L Dattu, A K Ganguly and R M Lodha superseding senior judges A P Shah, A K Patnaik and V K Gupta.

The Chief Justice declined to be drawn into a discussion on another direction by CIC to the apex courtto disclose within 15 days the name of the Union Minister who had allegedly tried to influence Madras High Court judge R Raghupati in a pending matter.

"I do not communicate with any of the judges of the high courts," he said while declining to entertain any further question on the issue.