SC Collegium reiterates name of Justice Joseph

The Supreme Court Collegium has reiterated its decision to recommend Uttarakhand High Court Chief Justice K M Joseph's name for elevation as apex court judge.

The five-member Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, said that there was "nothing adverse" regarding the suitability of Justice Joseph as has been pointed out in the letters of the Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

The resolution of the Collegium meeting held on July 16 and uploaded today said that the two letters written by the Prasad to the CJI while returning the recommendation of Joseph was "carefully considered".

Besides the CJI, other members of the Collegium are justices Ranjan Gogoi, Madan B Lokur, Kurian Joseph and A K Sikri.

Justice Sikri has replaced Justice J Chelameswar, who retired on June 22 and was a member of the Collegium when Justice Joseph's name was recommended for the first time.

The resolution said, "We have carefully considered the observations made by the Law Minister in his letters dated April 26, 2018, and April 30, 2018, addressed to the Chief Justice of India referring back, for reconsideration, the recommendation made by us on 10th January 2018 for appointment of Mr Justice K M Joseph, Chief Justice of Uttarakhand High Court, as Judge of the Supreme Court."

"The Collegium, on due consideration of all the aspects mentioned in the aforesaid two letters, resolves to reiterate the aforementioned recommendation, especially since nothing adverse regarding the suitability of Justice K M Joseph has been pointed out in the aforesaid letters," it resolution said.