The Supreme Court on Friday declined to hear a petition filed by a judicial officer from Himachal Pradesh who alleged that officers junior to him had been recommended for appointment as judges of the Himachal Pradesh High Court.
A bench comprising Justices B.V. Nagarathna and P. Joymalya Bagchi observed that it did not wish to open a “Pandora’s box” of controversies surrounding the functioning of either the High Court Collegium or the Supreme Court Collegium. The bench emphasized that the High Court Collegium’s discretionary assessment is the determining factor in recommending candidates for judicial appointments.
Appearing for the petitioner, senior advocate Balbir Singh argued that his client is the state’s senior-most judicial officer and has nearly 10 years of service remaining, making him a deserving candidate. The bench, however, remarked that seniority by itself does not confer a right to be recommended for appointment as a High Court judge.
