Bill to alter selection of judges in Rajya Sabha
New Delhi: Despite opposition from the judiciary, the Bill to scrap the collegium system of appointing judges to the Supreme Court and High Court was introduced by Union law minister Kapil Sibal in the Rajya Sabha.
The Bill entails a Constitutional amendment and seeks to set up a Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) to recommend appointments and transfers of higher judiciary.
It seeks to set up a panel headed by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) to appoint and transfer senior judges. Other members of the panel would be two senior-most judges of the Supreme Court, the law minister, two eminent persons as members and secretary (Justice) in the law ministry as convenor.
The JAC will make the participants in the selection accountable and introduce “transparency” in the selection process.
With India being the only country where judges appoint judges, the proposed body will seek to give the Executive a say in appointments to the higher judiciary. The Centre will intimate the Commission about vacancies in SC and HCs.
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