Former Judge Memoir Sparks Debate Over Judicial Appointments And Government Deference

Former Supreme Court judge <b>Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul</b> has sparked a major debate through his new memoir titled Without Fear or Favour. In the book, he claims that former Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud was overly deferential to the government regarding judicial appointments. Responding to the remarks, <b>DY Chandrachud</b> stated that he has not read the book yet. He defended the appointment process by noting that meetings were respectful, dissent was never recorded by Kaul, and the government holds a legitimate role in the appointment procedure. A record-based analysis of 63 Supreme Court judge recommendations between October 2017 and October 2026 reveals varying appointment gaps. While the usual wait time averaged seven days, historical records show significant delays for certain judges prior to the year 2023.