The Supreme Court today admitted that it made a mistake of law in September 2012 when it had directed that only sitting or retired High Court Chief Justices or an apex court judge could head the central and State information commissions, and recalled its 13 September 2012 judgment to that effect, reported the Hindu.

A bench of justices AK Patnaik and AK Sikri allowed the union government’s review against judgment in Namit Sharma v Union of India that was passed by a bench of justices Patnaik and Swatanter Kumar.

The bench however held that the Central Information Commission (CIC) should try referring matters involving a substantial question of law to information commissioners who have got some knowledge of law, and that in CIC appointments preference should be given to people of eminence belonging to the fields of science, technology, media and others, reported the DNA.