Kiren Rijiju shifted to Ministry of Earth Sciences in leadership shake-up
1 min read . Updated: 18 May 2023, 11:04 AM IST
PremiumRijiju made news during his tenure as law minister for his repeated criticism of the collegium system for judicial appointments.
Arjun Ram Meghwal has taken over as the Union Minister for Law and Justice, replacing Kiren Rijiju.
As per a statement from the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Meghwal has been given the additional responsibility of Minister of State in the Ministry of Law and Justice, while retaining his current portfolios, replacing Kiren Rijiju.
Rijiju made news during his tenure as law minister for his repeated criticism of the collegium system for judicial appointments.
Rijiju assumed the position of Law and Justice Minister on July 8, 2021, after previously serving as the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Youth Affairs and Sports from May 2019 until July 2021.
Earlier this week, the Supreme Court (SC) declined to consider a petition that contested the dismissal of a case by the Bombay High Court. The case had accused Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju of making remarks about the judiciary and the collegium system for judicial appointments.
The petition was presented before a bench comprising Justices S K Kaul and A Amanullah.
The Bombay Lawyers Association (BLA) had appealed to the Supreme Court to challenge the decision of the high court on February 9, which rejected their petition on the basis that it did not warrant invoking the writ jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution.
Earlier in April, during the ongoing Supreme Court hearings on legalizing same-sex marriages, Kiren Rijiju expressed his belief that decisions regarding important matters like the institution of marriage should be made by the people of the country, rather than being settled in courts.
Responding to a question at the Republic TV conclave, he said, "It is a matter which concerns every citizen of India. It is the question of people's will. The will of the people is reflected in Parliament or in the legislature or assemblies."
Rijiju's remarks came at a time when the Centre has opposed the idea of allowing same-sex marriages in the country and the Bar Council of India shared similar views as it passed a resolution opposing the grant of legal recognition to same-sex marriages.
(With inputs from agencies)