Consider the following statements about the collegium system :
- 1. The Supreme Court collegium is a five-member body, which is headed by the incumbent Chief Justice of India (CJI) and comprises four other seniormost Judges of the Court at that time.
- 2. The Parliament by law has evolved the collegium system.
- 3. The Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts are appointed only through the collegium system.
- 4. The collegium system was introduced in the year 1993 by Justice P. N. Bhagwati in the landmark First Judges Case.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
- AOnly 1
- B1 and 2
- C3 and 4
- D1 and 3
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: (d) 1 and 3
Explanation
The Supreme Court Collegium is a five-member body headed by the current Chief Justice of India (CJI) and includes four other senior-most serving judges of the Court. Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts are appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Supreme Court Collegium. The Collegium system was not created by Parliament; rather, it evolved through Supreme Court judgments. Statement 4 is also incorrect: the collegium system came from the Second Judges Case of 1993, not from the First Judges Case (1981).