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. A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice H L Dattu said the matter is not urgent and hearing on it will take place in the usual course.

The petition filed in the Supreme Court yesterday challenging the legality and constitutional validity of the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act, 2014 and the Constitution (121st Amendment) Bill, 2014, came barely a week after President Pranab Mukherjee accorded assent to them. The plea by senior advocate Bhim Singh, who is also the chief of Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party, termed them as illegal, arbitrary and unconstitutional.

The plea contended that the new system will result in excessive dominance of the executive in appointment of judges to the higher judiciary and recommendation of the Chief Justice of India would be reduced to mere suggestion. The plea said the new process is likely to jeopardise the appointment of judges in higher courts resulting in further delay in rendering justice to the common people. Last year, 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.