The Hindu : Front Page : Reconsider appointment of judge: Kalam

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 11, 2007
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Reconsider appointment of judge: Kalam

New Delhi: Taking cognisance of serious reservation expressed by several leading lawyers, President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has asked the government to reconsider the appointment of Justice Jagdish Bhalla of the Allahabad High Court as Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court.

The alleged complicity of Justice Bhalla's wife in the Noida land scam has queered the pitch for his elevation.

Official sources said Mr. Kalam had written to the Prime Ministers' Office following recommendations of Mr. Justice Bhalla's appointment by a three-member Supreme Court collegium comprising senior judges.

The President also took into account the dissenting note of one of the three judges against the appointment.

The government is bound by the recommendation of the collegium if the same name is recommended again after reconsideration. There is, however, no time frame for the government to act on the recommendations.

Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Bhairon Singh Shekhawat had also received some representations made by eminent lawyer Shanti Bushan against Mr. Justice Bhalla's elevation.

Mr. Chatterjee also wrote a letter to Law Minister Hans Raj Bhardwaj and apprised him of the complaints besides seeking an early response from his office on the issue.

"On hearing from you, I shall decide whether the matter shall be taken up by me with the leaders of different political parties for action, if any..," the Lok Sabha speaker said in his letter. - PTI

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