JUDGMENT

Bhagwati, J.

(1) THESE Writ Petition filed in different High Courts and transferred to this Court under Article 139-A of the Constitution raise issues of great constitutional importance affecting the independence of the judiciary and they have been argued at great length before us. The arguments have occupied as many as thirty-five days and they have ranged over a large number of issues comprising every imaginable aspect of the judicial institution. Voluminous written submissions have been filed before us which reflect the enormous industry and vast erudition of the learned counsel appearing for the parties and a large number of authorities, Indian as well as foreign, have been brought to our attention. We must acknowledge with gratitude our indebtedness to the learned counsel for the great assistance they have rendered to us in the delicate and difficult task of adjudicating upon highly sensitive issues arising in these Writ Petition. We find, and this is not unusual in cases of this kind, that a considerable amount of passion has been injected into the arguments on both sides and some times passion may appear to lend strength to an argument, but, sit