A day after Justice AR Dave declined to hear petitions challenging the constitutional validity of National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act, the Chief Justice of India on Thursday constituted a new bench to take up the matter.
The petitions would come up for a hearing before the new bench on April 21. Supreme Court sources said Justice JS Kehar is likely to head the five-judge bench. The others members – Justices J Chelameswar, Madan B Lokur, Kurien Joseph and AK Goel – would continue to be a part of it. Justice Kehar is in line to become the Chief Justice of India.
Justice Dave, who became a member of the NJAC under the new law, recused himself from heading the five-judges bench after the petitioner, the Supreme Court Advocates on Record Association (SCAORA), said there would be a conflict of interest.
The NJAC was notified on April 13. President Pranab Mukherjee gave his assent to the new law on December 31, 2014.