Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said the Collegium system has become more transparent over the years, though reforms are still needed. He stressed merit, integrity and experience as the core criteria for judicial appointments.
Signalling continuity along with reform, the new Chief Justice of India, Justice Surya Kant, has said that the Collegium system of judicial appointments has become much more transparent over time, while also admitting that improvements are always possible.
Speaking in an interview to The Indian Express, CJI Surya Kant said that the system of appointing judges has evolved with time and must continue to change as society itself changes.
He said,
“Change is the only constant, and as society evolves, institutions must also adapt their mechanisms accordingly. The same applies to the Collegium system, which is certainly far more open and transparent today than it once was. There is, however, always room to do better.”
The Chief Justice acknowledged that even well-established systems need reform at some point. He said the Collegium has improved over the years, but refinement is always necessary.
According to him,
“any system or practice, no matter how well-established, will at some stage require improvement”.
One major improvement, he said, is the practice of interacting personally with candidates being considered for judgeship. Calling this a positive development, he said it is “a very welcome step” as it allows Collegium members to
“arrive at a more objective view.”
Justice Surya Kant, who took oath as the Chief Justice of India on November 24, said that his priority in judicial appointments would be to ensure that only deserving candidates are elevated.
He said,
“My focus on judicial appointments, whether to the High Courts or the Supreme Court, would be to place strong emphasis on merit, experience, integrity, and the temperament required to serve as a judge.”
He further stressed that qualifications and character should be the main factors in appointments, adding,
“Going forward, I believe an even stronger emphasis must be placed on the credentials of the candidate — their merit, their integrity, and their experience. These should remain central considerations in every appointment.”
On the issue of transparency, the Chief Justice noted that the Collegium has started recording reasons for approving or rejecting names more frequently.
However, he also cautioned against going too far. He said that
“it is crucial to strike a balance and also maintain the integrity of the system”.
Justice Surya Kant also spoke about the role of the Chief Justice as the “master of the roster”, a phrase that has often been misunderstood. He clarified that while the Chief Justice, being the senior-most judge, has administrative responsibilities, this does not mean that cases are assigned arbitrarily.
He said that
“that does not automatically imply that matters are assigned in a unilateral manner”.
According to him, case allocation is done after discussions and consultations, keeping in mind the judges’ experience and availability.
Reflecting on his time as a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the Chief Justice recalled his involvement in monitoring cases related to Punjab’s drug problem.
Describing that phase of his judicial career, he said it was
“a true test of patience and, quite frankly, a labour of love”.
He said he was assigned the matter around 2015 and made sure to list it regularly to maintain continuous supervision. He explained,
“It wasn’t the kind of case that could be resolved through one sweeping order,”
as it required constant engagement with affected families, government authorities and different institutions.
Justice Surya Kant explained that the court adopted a comprehensive approach to deal with the drug menace.
He said the strategy was not limited to punishment alone but involved multiple steps, including criminal investigations, strengthening borders, extraditing offenders, setting up de-addiction and rehabilitation centres, and spreading awareness among young people through changes in education.
Summing it up, he said,
“In that sense, the approach in this case was holistic: punitive, preventive, rehabilitative, and educational.”
Addressing criticism and trolling of judges on social media, often based on short and misleading video clips of court proceedings, the Chief Justice said that such behaviour should not affect judges. He stated clearly that
“And of course, with that comes trolling, which must be ignored at all costs because it stems from a place of nescience and is not meant to be constructive.”
He warned that reacting to online criticism can harm the justice delivery system, saying,
“The moment we shift our focus from our duties to what is being said on social media, justice will inevitably suffer.”
Looking ahead to his tenure as Chief Justice, Justice Surya Kant said that reducing case pendency will be one of his main priorities.
He said this will be done by strengthening judicial systems, promoting mediation, and ensuring that people have proper access to justice and legal representation. Emphasising the importance of this goal, he said,
“That, to me, is fundamental.”
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