Collegium system on its way out as Cong backs bill for new panel
New Delhi:
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
|
The collegium system of appointing judges to the SC and HCs is set to become history with the Congress deciding to support the NDA 's Constitution amendment bill to create the National Judicial Appointments Commission.The bill, which seeks to replace the judges-appointingjudges system with a six-member commission, found backi ng from regional parties and the Left. The Congress realized that it did not have the numbers to stall the bill, and decided to record its concerns while voting in its favour. It is opposed to two provisions—giving “veto” to panel members to nix names proposed for judgeship and requiring unanimity if a name returned by the President is reiterated. With the Congress too supporting the bill to create the National Judicial Appointments Commission, the legislation is expected to get the nod without much problem. The first day of the debate in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday , after law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad sought support for the bill, removed any doubt about the outcome, with members across political parties taking potshots at the judiciary and complimenting the minister for putting in place a panel to appoint judges.
“The government has got no intentions whatsoever to intervene in the rights, jurisdiction, authority , constitutional powers of the Supreme Court and high courts of India,“ Prasad said to reassure the judiciary . The legislation is set to clear the Lok Sabha on Wednesday and the government will look to bring it to the Upper House either before the end of the Budget session on August 14 or by extending the session, as suggested by treasury benches.
Backing the bill, regional parties went a step ahead by seeking separate state-level commissions to appoint judges to high courts, as proposed by AIADMK leader M Thambidurai. It found support from the Samajwadi Party with Dharmendra Yadav making the same demand as also Shiv Sena. Thambidurai said his party would support the bill only if his amendment for state-level commissions was accepted.
The Congress's opening speaker Veerappa Moily pointed to the veto powers to argue, “The judiciary may be worried about it. This may give rise to conflict between the executive and the judiciary .“ He added that the Chief Justice of India could have been given extra influence to assure the judiciary.
For the full report, log on to http:www.timesofindia.com
“The government has got no intentions whatsoever to intervene in the rights, jurisdiction, authority , constitutional powers of the Supreme Court and high courts of India,“ Prasad said to reassure the judiciary . The legislation is set to clear the Lok Sabha on Wednesday and the government will look to bring it to the Upper House either before the end of the Budget session on August 14 or by extending the session, as suggested by treasury benches.
Backing the bill, regional parties went a step ahead by seeking separate state-level commissions to appoint judges to high courts, as proposed by AIADMK leader M Thambidurai. It found support from the Samajwadi Party with Dharmendra Yadav making the same demand as also Shiv Sena. Thambidurai said his party would support the bill only if his amendment for state-level commissions was accepted.
The Congress's opening speaker Veerappa Moily pointed to the veto powers to argue, “The judiciary may be worried about it. This may give rise to conflict between the executive and the judiciary .“ He added that the Chief Justice of India could have been given extra influence to assure the judiciary.
For the full report, log on to http:www.timesofindia.com
Source::::: The Times of India, 13.08.2014, p.01. http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31804&articlexml=Collegium-system-on-its-way-out-as-Cong-13082014001100
