Law Minister Kiren Rijiju wrote to CJI NV Ramana requesting him to recommend the name of his successor as no consensus could be reached on the appointment of judges in the Supreme Court collegium meeting held on Wednesday.
The letter, dated August 3, was received by the Chief Justice's office late Wednesday evening.
It has been now decided that the new Chief Justice of India (CJI) will decide on the appointment of the judges in the Supreme Court and in High Court.
By convention, Justice Uday Umesh Lalit, the senior-most judge after the current CJI Justice Ramana, will head the Supreme Court.
According to the sources, no decision regarding future appointments was taken in the Supreme Court collegium meeting.
CJI NV Ramana will retire on August 26. Then Justice U U Lalit will be the next CJI of the country for the next three months.
It is a tradition that the Chief Justice sends the recommendation of his successor in a sealed cover to the President through the Ministry of Law and Justice, about a month before his retirement.
It is expected that the CJI will reveal the name of his successor in a day or two.