Several suggestions has been placed before the Supreme Court in order to bring in greater transparency in the collegium system of appointing judges for the higher judiciary, including establishment of a complaint redressal mechanism.

The issues of eligibility criteria, establishment of a secretariat for the collegium and evolving a mechanism of complaint redressal were put forward as suggestions to improve the collegium system of appointment.

The matter was heard by a five-judge Constitution bench, headed by Justice J S Khehar. The bench has asked the parties to file written submissions by compiling the suggestions on transparency, eligibility, establishment of secretariat and evolving a mechanism for complaints redressal by the collegium.

The court heard suggestions put forth by Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar and senior advocates including K K Venugopal, who had argued against the collegium system  as well as
Senior advocates Fali S Nariman, Anil Divan, Rajeev Dhavan and Arvind Datar among others. It was stated that there is a need for greater transparency in the appointment for judges for the higher judiciary through the collegium system.

While striking down the 99th Constitutional Amendment Act and then NJAC Act, which was aimed at replacing the two-decade old collegium system of appointment of judges by the judges, the apex court had accepted that there was a need to bring more transparency and improvement in it.