Indian chief justice slams gov't over delay in judges' appointments

India's Chief Justice T.S. Thakur Friday came down heavily on the central government for the delay in appointment of judges, leading to logjam in the judiciary.

The top judge told Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi that some 75 names had been recommended for the appointment of judges in High Courts across the country, but the central government "is sitting over the appointments."

"Don't force us to pass orders to remove this logjam. You can't leave a situation where courts are allowed to be shut down. Accessibility to courts can't be allowed to a grinding halt. There has to be some accountability," Chief Justice Thakur warned.

He also accused the government of not doing anything in cases of transfers and appointments of Chief Justices of High Courts. "In February, a few judges were recommended for transfer. Still the names are not processed. It gives a wrong impression," the chief justice said.

More than 22 million cases are pending in courts across India, of which several have been pending for the past 10 years.

Source : XINHUA