Judges Transfer Case - SP Gupta Vs Union of India Famous case, S.P.Gupta Vs Union of India[1 1!"#, t$is is popu%ar%& 'no(n as Judges Transfer case. T$e Supreme Court unanimous%& agreed (it$ t$e meaning of t$e term consu%tation in )rtic%e #1#, ##, 1#*+1 of t$e constitution. In t$e ao/e, Supreme Court )d/ocates on 0ecord case, t$e Supreme Court $e%d t$at t$e C$ief Justice s$a%% $a/e to consu%t t(o ot$er senior most Judges of t$e Supreme Court efore sending $is opinion. In t$is Judgement, t$e Supreme Court %aid do(n certain guide%ines.
a Indi/idua% initiation of $ig$ constitutiona% functionaries in t$e matter of appointment of Judg es reduced to minimum. It gi/es pri/ac& to t$e C$ief Justice of India ut puts a c$ec' on $im to consu%t at %east t(o of $is senior most co%%eagues.
Constitutiona% functionaries must act co%%ecti/e%& co%%ecti/e%& in Judicia% )ppointments. )ppointments.
c )ppointment of C$ief Justice of India & seniorit& on%&.
d o Judge can e appointment & t$e Union Go/ernment (it$out Consu%ting t$e C$ief Justice of India.
T$e Supreme Court, ($i%e up$o%ding t$e Independence of Judiciar& in appointment of Judges of t$e Supreme Court and 2ig$ Court, on t$e asis of t$e term 3consu%tation4 under )rtic%e #15+1 and ### of t$e constitution in t$e formation of t$e opinion of t$e C$ief Justice of India after consu%tation $as to e sent to t$e President. T(o senior most Judges of t$e )pe6 Court $a/e to assist t$e C$ief Justice of India to form an opinion. 2o(e/er, t$e 7uestion regarding po%itica% interference in t$e matter of appointment of Supreme Court and 2ig$ Court Judges, sti%% e6ists and after, t$e court $as een stri/ing to maintain t$e Independence. 8ut in !9rd Constitutiona% )mendment 8i%% of #::9, it (i%% pro/ide for esta%is$ment of ationa% Judicia% Commission. T$e pro/isions of t$e !9rd )mendment )mendment are featured as fo%%o(s.
1 Constitution of t$e commission to e c$aired & t$e 2onoura%e C$ief Justice of India (it$ t(o senior most Judges of t$e Supreme Court, ;inister In-c$arge of %a( and Justice, Union of India , and an eminent e minent citi
# Po(ers of t$e Commission regarding appointment of t$e Supreme Court and 2ig$ Court Judges, and matters incidenta% t$ereto.
9 Po(ers of t$e Commission to ta'e action in cases of comp%aints against Judges and t$e matters incidenta% t$ereto.
* )ssociation of t$e C$ief ;inister of t$e concerned state in t$e matter of appointment of 2ig$ Court Judges.
T$e =egis%ature $as een conferred (it$ po(ers for t$e constitution to enact %a(s at t$e same time, t$e constitution a%so pro/ides for certain rig$ts to t$e citi
T$e Go/ernment of India t$roug$ t$e !9rd )mendment 8i%% proposes to constitute a ationa% Judicia% Commission in /ie( of t$e a%%egations of corruption and misuse of officia% position, eing mode against sitting Judges of different 2ig$ Courts. T$e 8i%% +!9rd amendment pro/ides to dea% (it$ t$e matters re%ating to )ppointment, Transfer of Judges and in7uiries into t$e comp%aints against t$e Judges and ot$er incidenta% matters. T$e Go/ernment of India proposes to esta%is$ t$e ationa% Judicia% Commission, so t$at t$e Commission comprising eminent persons (it$out an& >6ecuti/e or Po%itica% inf%uences. 8ut t$e Judiciar& is e6pressing a grouse & sa&ing t$at under t$e prete6t of constituting ationa% Judicia% Commission, T$e >6ecuti/e is tr&ing to interfere (it$ t$e Independence of t$e Judiciar& and t$e so-ca%%ed nominated persons in t$e ationa% Judicia% Commission, p%ia%e to t$e >6ecuti/e and ma& )ct according to t$e (is$es of t$e >6ecuti/e. 8ut t$e Independence of t$e Judiciar& as contemp%ated in t$e constitution is (it$out an& interference in an& manner ($at so e/er. T$e Independence of Judiciar& is a asic structure of t$e constitution as $e%d & t$e Supreme Court in ?esa/ananda 8$arat$i Vs State of ?era%a[#.
Visua%ising t$e present situation, t$e Judiciar& in India, ($ic$ is t$e protector and guarantor of Fundamenta% 0ig$ts of t$e citi6ecuti/e in respect of constitution of t$e courts, appointment of Judges, %a&ing do(n t$eir conditions of ser/ice inc%uding sa%ar&, age of retirement etc, ($et$er t$is amounts to interfering (it$ t$e
Independence of Judiciar& ($i%e t$e Judges are not ans(era%e to an& Superior )ut$orit&. @$i%e e6ercising t$eir po(er of de%i/ering Judgments in t$e course of administration of Justice A. 2o(e/er once an office or a post or an Institution is created or constituted, it must e p%aced under t$e contro% of some aut$orit&B so t$at t$e actions of t$e persons emp%o&ed can e super/ised or contro%%ed. 8ut, in Indian Constitution, once t$e courts are constituted and t$e Judges are appointed, no e6terna% inf%uence o/er e6erted or imposed in t$e course of de%i/erance of Judgements, eit$er from t$e %egis%ature or from t$e e6ecuti/e. 8ut on t$e ot$er $and, it is for t$e Judges t$emse%/es, ($o are a%%ured & t$e inf%uences corruption, ma%ice, ias, fa/our etc, ecause t$e Judges are a%so $uman eings. In India, t$e Judges are inf%uenced on%& & t$eir /ices or (ea'nesses from among t$emse%/es and no e6terna% inferences e/er entered into t$e citade%s of Independence of Judiciar&.
[1 )I0 1!"# SC 1*!
)rtic%e #1# Courts not to in7uire into proceedings of t$e =egis%ature. )rtic%e ## Protection against arrest and detention in certain cases. )rtic%e #15 )ppointment and conditions of t$e office of a Judg e of 2ig$ Court. [# )I0 1!59 SC 1*D1
