Press conference by 4 dissenting judges of SC

Why in News?

• Four senior judges of the Supreme Court held a press conference and publicly accused Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra of selectively assigning cases to judges of his choice without any rational basis.

Why the unprecedented step?

• The judges said that with the independence of the judiciary and the future of democracy at stake, they had “no other choice but communicates to the nation to please take care of this institution.”

How is it linked to Loya case?

• It is connected to the assignment of a petition, seeking an independent probe into the mysterious death of CBI judge B.H. Loya, to a particular Bench.

Why the 4 judges have reservation on it?

• The convention of the court demands that important cases of public interest or sensitive matters should be first heard by the CJI.
• If the CJI is not willing for some reason to hear the case, it should be assigned to the next senior-most judge in the Supreme Court.

Government’s stand

• It is an internal matter of the judiciary” and that it was “up to the judiciary to sort out the matter.