Last minute rush

Supreme Court judges have admonished their brethren in the high courts for not writing judgements long after closing arguments. But it often happens in the apex court that judges deliver their judgements on the last working day before their retirement. On Tuesday, history repeated itself when Justice Vikramajit Sen hurriedly delivered judgements in more than 60 cases, at a special sitting, breaking the two-week Christmas vacation. This was still better than the judge, who retired without even writing judgements in scores of cases, necessitating rehearing. The government pointed him out as an example of a bad choice by the collegium, which recruits judges. In the past, some judges have recorded their grievance against other judges for sending their draft judgements the evening before their retirement and refusing to write their final versions because of a paucity of time.