Senior advocate Indira Jaising on Sunday, January 13 said that Justice AK Sikri should have disclosed the fact that the government was considering him for a post-retirement position at the Commonwealth Secretariat Arbitral Tribunal (CSAT), before he sat on the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led high-power committee that decided the fate of Alok Verma on January 8.
Jaising cited a media report which mentions that the government had reportedly informed the Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, “apprising him of the External Affairs Ministry’s decision to nominate Justice Sikri to the coveted post and seeking his consent.”
Justice Sikri should have disclosed this before he sat on the committee as the nominee of the Chief Justice of India , the decision is vitiated for this reason also , and the post requires “high moral character “? Where is the constitutional morality ? https://t.co/PgBbDNG7AJ
— Indira Jaising (@IJaising) January 13, 2019
The report also says that the CJI had then “replied to the government in the affirmative after checking with Justice Sikri.”
Jaising wrote that the decision of the high-power committee to remove Alok Verma stood “vitiated” as Justice Sikri did not disclose the government’s offer prior to sitting on the committee as the nominee of the Chief Justice of India.
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Justice Sikri, who is set to retire on March 6, turned down the government’s offer after he came under fire following media reports.
Pointing out that the post (member/president of the CSAT) requires “high moral character”, Jaising questioned the absence of “constitutional morality”.
In a separate tweet, she said that the decision of the committee must be recalled, as Justice Sikri should have chosen either the plum posting or sitting on a high-power committee with the prime minister.
The decision of the committee must be recalled ,Sikri J must opt to accept plum job in London or be on Commitees with PM , he cannot have both @ShekharGupta @maneeshchhibber @pbhushan1 @bainjal @INCIndia https://t.co/ncDiZpDen1
— Indira Jaising (@IJaising) January 13, 2019
Also Read: After Facing Backlash, Justice Sikri Turns Down Modi Govt’s Plum Posting Offer