SC no to PIL on cooling off period for judges

The issue has been widely debated after former CJI P Sathasivam took governorship soon after his tenure ended.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to entertain a PIL against acceptance of governorship of Kerala by former chief justice of India P Sathasivam, while also declining to issue guidelines on cooling off period for judges to take up government assignments after retirement.

A bench led by CJI H L Dattu dismissed the petition by one Mohammed Ali, who had made the former CJI a party to his PIL while seeking the court’s directives on laying down specific guidelines on appointing retired judges of the Supreme Court and high courts. The petition said that no such appointment should be made without the consultation and concurrence of the Chief Justice of India or the chief justices of high courts.