Chief justice says no records are kept of Supreme Court collegium meetings

Chief justice of India KG Balakrishnan today said the records of collegium meetings to appoint or elevate judges were not kept as any written material may jeopardise career prospects of a candidate. 

The CJI's remark came against the backdrop of attempts to bring the records of promotion and appointment of judges in the higher judiciary in public domain by invoking the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

"We don't record any minutes. This is because... it will adversely affect the image and integrity of that particular judge," he said.

"If he talks something about integrity of that judge, it is all allegation, some judge may say something, the other something. We all record and it is published there then he will not be able to continue serving as a chief justice thereafter," justice Balakrishnan said.

The CJI said that the collegium system discussed about the candidates who were sitting chief justices for elevation to the Supreme Court.

"It is not a departmental promotion, where grading is done and all discussed. It is not like a DPC committee meeting. The Supreme Court judges are appointed from among the judges of the high courts mainly chief justices," he told Times Now.

"I don't think that in any country, this sort of an appointment of the Judges is concerned, the comments on the judge are published," justice Balakrishnan said.