He said there was need for proper representation of people belonging to weaker sections of society including women and minority in the higher judiciary.
"I have written letters to Chief Justice of High Courts to fill up the vacancies by giving preference to SC, ST, OBCs, women and people from minority communities. I asked them to give them some concession and relaxation on age and other criteria," he said.
He said that same procedure should also be followed by his successor CJIs but expressed himself against reservation in judiciary.
Sathasivam's career as judge spans over 18 years. His stint in the Supreme Court was a total six years and eight months. Earlier, he had served as judge of the Madras High Court and later in Punjab and Haryana High Court before his elevation to the Supreme Court.
Later in the day at his farewell function, Justice Sathasivam expressed concern over the high rate of pendency in courts and said it cannot be wiped out without the support from the members of the Bar.
"But one aspect I noticed, which is wedged with our Indian judiciary over the decades, is the high rate of pendency. It is a recognised fact that pendency of cases cannot be wiped out without the support from the members of the Bar," he said.
