Want to include ‘certain issues’ in MoP to appoint judges: Govt

The government would like to include “certain issues” in the Memorandum of Procedure to appoint Supreme Court and High Court judges in consultation with the Chief Justice of India, Law Minister D V Sadananda Gowda said on Wednesday.

Reacting to a Supreme Court order asking the government to draft the Memorandum of Procedure to appoint judges to the Supreme Court and 24 High Courts, Gowda said “certain issues need to be tackled and these can be carried forward in the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP).” He, however, did not specify the issues the government would like to add in the Memorandum of Procedure.

But, he added, “it should only be done after due consultation” with the CJI as due “care” must be taken while drafting the document. Gowda said there are over 400 vacancies in High Courts which need to be filled up at earliest.