SC collegium holds 50 interviews in 2 days, signals shift

The Collegium Opted for These Interactions 'Over and Above' the Standard Vetting Process

- Utkarsh Anand

The Supreme Court collegium this week interviewed at least 50 candidates in just two days, setting a record for the highest number of face-to-face interactions in one go for high court appointments, and reinforcing the collegium's shift towards personality assessment over paper credentials.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan R Gavai and Justices Surya Kant and Vikram Nath, the top three judges of the Supreme Court, held extensive one-on-one interactions with judicial officers and lawyers recommended for the high courts of Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana, Patna, Rajasthan and others.

People familiar with the development said the collegium opted for these interactions "over and above" the conventional vetting process that typically involves reviewing judicial performance, seeking Intelligence Bureau inputs, and considering the views of the chief minister and the governor, in addition to inputs from the department of justice under the law ministry.

"These interactions are intended to go beyond the written record and get a sense of the candidate's personality, temperament and overall suitability," said one of the persons cited above, adding that the meetings were held in two batches over two days at the Supreme Court.