New Delhi, May 12 (IANS): The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to decide to refer to a larger bench a batch of petitions challenging the validity of the National Judicial Appointments Commission, as a preliminary issue.

The court made it clear that it was not ruling out the possibility of referring the matter to a larger bench after hearing the challenge to the NJAC on merits as well.

The Constitution bench by an interim order directed the government to extend by three months or till the date of superannuation, whichever is earlier, the services of the additional judges whose two-year tenure will come to an end during the pendency of the hearing of these petitions.

"The prayer made by the Attorney General for disposing of the issue with reference to the need for revisiting the two judgments rendered in 1993 and 1998 to be decided first as preliminary issue before hearing the main matter is declined," said the Constitution bench headed by Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar in its interim order.