Judges bill referred to Parliamentary panel
A draft legislation, which is aimed at scrapping the collegium system for appointment of judges to the higher judiciary, has been referred to a parliamentary committee for further consultations.
The bill aims to replace the collegium system by a new mechanism in which the executive will have a say in the appointment of judges in the higher judiciary.
The Judicial Appointments Commiss-ion Bill, 2013, introduced in the Rajya Sabha on August 29, has been referred to the parliamentary standing committee on law.
The panel has now sought the opinion and views of the general public and stakeholders on the provisions of the bill, which aims at establishing a new mechanism to appoint judges to the Supreme Court and 24 high courts.
Law minister Kapil Sibal had introduced an enabling bill — the Constitution (120th) Amendment Bill — and the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill, 2013, which defines the establishment of the proposed body to recommend appointment and transfer of judges.
The government and the Opposition were united in seeking to scrap the collegium system of appointing judges to higher courts, saying it was essential to restore the delicate balance of power, which has been disturbed. The Constitutional Amend-ment Bill was passed in the Upper House amidst a walkout by BJP, which wanted both the bills to be referred to a Parliamentary Standing Committee.
The government wanted the Constitutional Amendment Bill to be passed and was willing to send the main bill — the Judicial Appointm-ents Commission Bill — to the standing committee. The Constitutional Amendment Bill is now pending with the Lok Sabha, while Rajya Sabha chairman M. Hamid Ansari had agreed to refer the main bill to the parliamentary panel.
Under the current collegium system, the Chief Justice of India and four seniormost judges of the Supreme Court recommend to the government the names of judges for appointment to the high courts and to the top court.
Post new comment