Outgoing Chief Justice Sathasivan willing to become Lokpal, but with a rider
New Delhi: Outgoing Chief Justice of India P Sathasivam does not mind being the first Lokpal or taking up any other post-retirement job if the decision is taken unanimously and without controversy. "If it (being
He was replying to a question whether the collegium system should be given up and the executive and the government should have a say in the appointment of judges.
However, Justice Sathasivam felt there should be a fixed tenure of at least two years for the Chief Justice of India like in the case of top bureaucrats in central government.
"There should be at least a fixed tenure of two years for the CJI as has been fixed for Cabinet Secretary and Home Secretary. In two years time, the CJI can do more work than in short period as it takes 2-3 moths to settle down," he said.
Even as he demits office, there was some intense activity in the outgoing government which was planning to appoint a Lokpal but gave up the idea after controversy over its moves at a time when the country was in the midst of polls.
The Chief Justice refrained from making any comments on the issue of sexual harassment complaint brought before him against two former judges of the apex court.
"Since the matter is sub-judice, I am not offering any view on the issue. But I have something in mind which I will write down in newspaper column after the case is decided by the court," he said.