Justice Madan B Lokur says ‘judges should stay away from political thicket’ 

Justice Madan Bhimrao Lokur.

Former Supreme Court judge Justice Madan Bhimrao Lokur, on Wednesday, suggested that judges should maintain distance from “political thicket”. He was speaking in reference to the controversy which made Justice AK Sikri turning down an offer from the government for a part-time assignment in London.

The retired Supreme Court judge said this during an interactive session organized by Leaflet – a portal, and the Lawyers’ Collective – an NGO.

Justice Sikri, who was nominated by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi to the three-member panel that controversially decided to transfer out Central Bureau of Investigation director Alok Verma from the agency, turned down the government’s offer that would have made him a member of the London-based Commonwealth Secretariat Arbitral Tribunal.

Justice Lokur further said he was “disappointed” that the December 12 decision of Supreme Court collegium to elevate Justice Pradeep Nandrajog and Justice Rajendra Menon was not uploaded on the apex court’s website.

He said, “A decision has been taken. In the normal course, it should have been put up. It was not put up. I am disappointed. Why it was not put up is not my business.”

The Supreme Court collegium, which then included Justice Lokur, had considered the names of these two high court judges. On January 10 this year, after Justice Lokur’s retirement, a collegium meeting decided to elevate Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Justice Sanjiv Khanna, who were later sworn in.

Related