Centre Should Act Upon Collegium Recommendations Within Reasonable Time: Top Court

A bench of Chief Justice Bobde and Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Surya Kant took note of delay on part of the central government in acting on the collegium's recommendations.

The Supreme Court Thursday said the centre should respond to its collegium recommendations within a reasonable time frame and favoured appointment of ad-hoc judges in the high courts to reduce the pendency of cases in the judiciary. A bench of Chief Justice Bobde and Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Surya Kant took note of delay on part of the central government in acting on the collegium's recommendations. It said that on each stage there is certain thought process and therefore "there should be reasonable time frame within which the Union Ministry of Law and Justice should act. After collegium recommends they need to reply in specific time frame". The bench said there are certain recommendations which are pending before the government for past six months.