Justice Bhuyan criticizes collegium opacity

India — Supreme Court of India judge Ujjal Bhuyan publicly criticized the Supreme Court collegium for failing to provide reasons in its recent resolutions recommending judicial appointments. Speaking at the launch of a report by the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy's JALDI initiative, Justice Bhuyan argued that this lack of transparency undermines public confidence, does a disservice to deserving judges, and creates space for individuals with unconstitutional views to enter the judiciary. He cited an example of a former Pakistan — Islamabad High Court judge who made derogatory remarks about a minority community. The report, titled 'Judicial Transparency Index', assesses disclosure practices across India's higher judiciary and found significant gaps, such as only five high courts publishing budgets and only 87 of 813 judges disclosing assets. Justice Bhuyan also noted the case of Saurabh Kirpal, whose appointment has been pending for over three years despite collegium recommendations. The event highlights ongoing concerns about the collegium system's accountability and transparency.