New Delhi [India], May 6: In a landmark step toward greater transparency, the Supreme Court of India has made public the entire process of appointments to the High Courts and the Supreme Court, including detailed inputs from the High Court Collegium, state and central governments, and the Supreme Court Collegium itself.
The comprehensive data, now uploaded to the official website of the Supreme Court, includes critical details such as:
- Names of candidates recommended for judgeships
- Their High Court of appointment
- Source of recommendation (Bar or Service)
- Date of Collegium recommendation
- Date of appointment and notification by the Department of Justice
- Social category (SC/ST/OBC/Minority/Woman)
- Whether a candidate is related to any sitting or retired judge of the High Court or Supreme Court
Why This Matters:
This marks the first time the judiciary has proactively shared such granular information, in a move that legal experts are calling “historic for judicial accountability.” The step comes amid long-standing public demands for transparency in judicial appointments, often criticized for being opaque and influenced by nepotism.
The Supreme Court emphasized in its statement that the initiative aims to foster “knowledge and awareness of the public”, and signals a more open and accountable judiciary.