On May 18, 2023, Kiren Rijiju was moved from his position as the minister of law and justice to the Ministry of Earth Sciences. Arjun Ram Meghwal will take over as the minister of law and justice while continuing to hold his current positions as minister of state for parliamentary affairs and culture. Meghwal is known for his work in advancing environmental causes and representing the Scheduled Caste population in Rajasthan.
Rijiju has been critical of the collegium system, which is used to appoint judges, calling it “opaque” and “alien to the Constitution.” He believes that judges should be appointed by the government rather than through judicial orders. However, he also emphasized that there is no conflict between the judiciary and the executive, and until a new system is in place, the government will continue to use the collegium system.
In March, Rijiju spoke out against retired judges and campaigners who he believed were trying to sway the court against the executive branch. Recently, the Bombay Lawyers Association had appealed a decision by the Bombay high court to the Supreme Court, claiming that Rijiju and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar were ineligible to occupy their positions due to their behavior and public comments critical of the Supreme Court and the collegium system. However, the Supreme Court rejected the petition.
