A former Judge reflects on the appointment of Judges

 This book is a collection of lectures, and articles by and interviews with the retired Judge of the Madras High Court, Justice K.Chandru.  This is also the first book to come out of Lexlab, a new publisher of law books from Kerala. 

As the Supreme Court’s five-Judge Constitution Bench is likely to deliver its judgment in the NJAC case any time in the next few days, it helps to read this book and refresh our understanding of the issues at stake.  Justice Chandru rightly feels that there has been no real assessment of the mode and method of appointment as well as the calibre of the appointees selected so far. The judiciary had always installed a fence around it so that there can be no systematic study of the competence and the calibre of the appointees, he says. 
Justice Chandru also regrets that a profession which has a monpoly license to practice before court has escaped any kind of public scrutiny. The book carries a rare Foreword written by the late Justice V.R.Krishna Iyer (perhaps his last or one of his last Forewords).  The book, divided into 15 chapters, reveals the mind of Justice Chandru on various contemporary issues concerning the judiciary.  Chapter 12 shows that he favours the NJAC, which he believes, will be free from arbitrariness and favouritism.  The book can be purchased from here.

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