The government told to the Supreme Court that National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) is going to appoint more women judges in the higher judiciary. Mukul Rohatgi, attorney general had told to the Bench where Justice J S Khehar headed, that this new system of appointing women judges to higher judiciary would open opportunities to the women judges in the Supreme Court and High Courts. He further said that collegium system had failed to ensure the proper representation to women judges in the bench.
He also stated that there was male supremacy in the higher judiciary and thus women judges were not seen in upper judiciary only one or two women judges were seen in High Courts which is because of lack of sensitivity. Mukul Rohatgi also urged the apex court to allow eminent people to play a part in selecting judges who were out of legal system where the government wants to replace Collegium system with National Judicial Appointments Commission. Rohatgi said that the inputs should be from different fields who are not jurists for example he gave the name of agricultural scientist MS Swaminathan. The arguments about the NJAC matter is being heard by 5 member judge at the Supreme Court. Justice JS Khehar, Kurian Joseph, MB Lokur, Jasti Chelameswar, and Adarsh Kumar Goel head the 5 bench judges in Supreme Court. The people who are opposing this say that it gives executive more power in appointing higher judiciary. Government contends that the old collegium system which is not quality based and is opaque. He further said that this process should be with the global development where inputs from different people from different fields should be considered. When Rohatgi took some of the deceased Satyaji Ray and Verhese Kurrien Justice Chelameswar told Rohatgi to leave those people to rest in peace. Rohatgi further said that woman lawyers are not given equal chance as per the male counterparts to argue cases and paid less compared to male lawyers. He also argued that this should change and that women should be promoted who has aspirations. Bench thus asked that why NJAC does not contain certain number of women or OBC or SC STs section in their selection process to Rohatgi and he said that when NJAC starts to function this would be structured.
by Sushma Javare.