Collegium System Should be Abolished: Harish Salve at Republic Summit 2024

New Delhi: Harish Salve, Senior Advocate Supreme Court, Former Solicitor General of India and King's Counsel was a special guest at the Republic Summit 2024 held at the Taj Palace hotel in New Delhi on March 7.

Among other things, Salve spoke about the much debated ‘Collegium System’. “The Collegium System should be abolished,” said Harish Salve at the Republic Summit 2024. "Show me one country where judges appoint judges," he questioned.

What is the Collegium System?

The Collegium System, used for judicial appointments to the Supreme Court of India and the High Courts of the country, has been debated for not being transparent and accountable.

The National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) was put forth to replace the Collegium System. However, the Supreme Court observed that it was against the "Independence of Judiciary".

In April 2023, the Supreme Court declared that it would set a date for a hearing on a petition to abolish the collegium system. The same petition also sought to revive the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC). 

Harish Salve, on nepotism said, “No real nepotism exists. When I became Solicitor General, (former Prime Minister) Atal (Bihari Vajpayee) Ji did not care what my father was.”

Advocate Harish Salve’s father NKP Salve was a staunch supporter and member of the Indian National Congress.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be present at the Republic Summit 2024 this evening. Watch this space for more updates on it.