Centre approves Collegium's recommendation to elevate Justice KM Joseph to Supreme Court: Report

Resolving the long going conflict between the executive and the judiciary over the appointment of Uttrakhand High Court chief justice KM Joseph to the Supreme Court, the Union Government has finally accepted the decision of the Collegium to appoint justice KM Joseph as the Supreme Court judge.

Reports on Friday suggested that the Union government has accepted the decision of the Collegium for the elevation of Justice Joseph to the apex court.

Citing government sources, a media report said that the authorities had cleared the files relating to the appointment of Justice Joseph. The report also added that the recommendation for appointment of Madras High Court Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Orissa High Court Chief Justice Vineet Saran as Supreme Court judges were also approved.

The recommendation for the appointment of KM Joseph had resulted in a tussle between the executive and the judiciary for the past six months.

A collegium headed by CJI Dipak Misra had recommended the name of KM Joseph as Supreme Court judge on January 10 inciting an unprecedented rebellion within the top judiciary.

Following this, four other members of the Collegium Justice J Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, Madan B Lokur and Kurian Joseph held a press conference on January 12 to criticise the government's intervention in the judiciary and the functioning of the CJI.

On April 30 the government had rejected the recommendation for the elevation of Justice Joseph on the grounds of his seniority.

Meanwhile, the Opposition had argued that Justice Joseph is being "punished" because gave an unfavourable verdict against BJP in 2016 while hearing the challenge to governor's rule in Uttarakhand, imposed by central government.