The cash stashed scam involving the Delhi high Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma has drawn the ire of the nation and the legal fraternity and in particular the Allahabad Bar Association which took strong exception to the tainted judge being transferred to the Allahabad high court .
Anil Tiwari the president of the Association said “It is apposite to state that after this incident the judiciary especially the high court and the Supreme court will not be able to claim moral high grounds.” Tiwari further said that Justice Varma’s conduct had shocked the nation and the functioning of the constitution was at stake.
Vice -President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Mr Dhankar said that things would have been very different if the mechanisms of judicial appointments ( NJAC) passed by both houses of parliament in 2014 and by State assemblies had not been struck down by the Supreme court. The same was ratified by the President under section 111 of the constitution.
An all party meeting was convened by Dhankar which was attended by Congress President Kharge and JP Nadda amongst others but given the chemistry or the lack of it amongst the BJP and the opposition it is highly unlikely that the opposition will back any proposal or legislation to regulate the judiciary.
The Supreme court has stuck to its stand of transferring justice Varma to the Allahabad high court inspite of opposition from the Bar which had vehemently opposed this decision of the apex court saying that it was not a trash bin where tainted judges could be dumped.
Reading out a resolution of the Allahabad Bar Association Anil Tiwari said that the continuance of Justice Varma as a High Court judge is dangerous for democracy as it eroded public faith which is the only power available with the judicial system. “If faith is gone everything is gone,” he said.
With the Supreme court sticking with an in house enquiry and the government at loggerheads with the opposition it’s a stalemate of sorts as far as judicial reforms or the doing away of the Collegium system .
Only a thorough introspection by the apex court and a more transparent system of appointment while adhering to high standards of morality can restore the public confidence in one of the most important and towering pillars of democracy.
