Ex-SG submits suggestions to improve collegium system

Former Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium, whose proposed elevation as a judge of the Supreme Court did not fructify in 2014, today suggested keeping the political executive away from interfering in the process of appointing judges to the higher judiciary.
Making a slew of suggestions to improve the collegium system, Subramanium said "it is submitted that no member of the political executive (including a minister who may be former lawyer) directly or indirectly will seek to influence either the Chief Justice or the members of the collegium.
"If any such attempt is made, the Supreme Court must commence appropriate action and must inform the President that there is an attempt to influence the judiciary in the matter of judicial appointment."

The senior lawyer also submitted before a five-judge bench headed by Justice J S Khehar that no civil servant should be allowed access to the Chief Justice or the members of the collegium for the purpose of sharing any information.
"It is submitted that in many cases, political access or the amenability to political access has itself deprived the collegium of respect within the legal profession," he said.
Among the other suggestions, he also said no judge should accept any national honour such as Padma Bhushan or Padma Vibhushan because it is expected that a judge performs his judicial functions not for the purpose of an honour or recognition but "truely to the silent and true to the office."

Besides Subramanium, ex-BJP idealogue K N Govindacharya also came out with a bunch of suggestions to improve working of the collegium system, emphasising that all the power points should be unplugged in the process of appointment of judges.
Govindacharya, through his lawyer Viraj Gupta, submitted that MPs, MLAs and civil servants have to furnish various affidavits and affirmations but "judges are appointed based on the subjective satisfaction of collegium judges, from advocates.