The Supreme Court today declined urgent hearing of a plea seeking quashing of National Judicial Appointments Commission Act, 2014 for appointment of judges in higher judiciary. The court said the matter is not urgent and hearing on it will take place in the usual course.

Yesterday, a plea was filed in the Apex Court seeking quashing of the Act which ends the collegium system of judges themselves selecting and appointing judges for higher judiciary. The petition filed by senior advocate Bhim Singh challenging the legality and constitutional validity of the Act and the constitution (121st Amendment) Bill, 2014, comes barely a week after President Pranab Mukherjee accorded assent to them.

The Parliament passed the National Judicial Appointment Commission Act so that government too may have a say in the appointment of judges to the Supreme Court and the High Courts.