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CJI Gavai Emphasizes Collegium Autonomy and Court Parity as High Court Vacancies Persist

In his Independence Day address, the CJI endorsed expanded in-person candidate interviews, urged prompt government approval of pending recommendations, widened the candidate pool for High Courts, linked the appointments process to protecting marginalized rights.

The Chief Justice further added that the top court cannot dictate a high court collegium to recommend a particular name for judgeship.
Justice B R Gavai that Supreme court is not superior to High Courts (Photo: PTI)
Chief Justice of India Bhushan Gavai visited his alma mater, Chikitsak Samuh's school in Girgaon, in Mumbai, on July 6. (Ayushman Poyrekar/HT Photo)
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Overview

  • The CJI insisted that High Court collegiums hold the primary authority to initiate judicial appointments and that Supreme Court recommendations proceed only after state-level approval.
  • Official Supreme Court data show 345 High Court vacancies as of August 1 with 29 collegium recommendations awaiting government clearance, intensifying calls for faster approvals.
  • The collegium’s resumption of in-person interviews culminated in more than 50 meetings with judicial officers and lawyers over two days in July to strengthen candidate assessment.
  • Responding to SCBA advocacy, the Supreme Court collegium has recommended several Supreme Court practitioners for High Court benches and plans further nominations.
  • Gavai urged judges and lawyers to interpret laws purposively to broaden freedoms, reinforce the rule of law and safeguard rights of marginalized communities.