By NNN-PTI,
New Delhi : A Parliamentary Panel on Law has suggested the establishment of a special committee to screen any complaints of misconduct by judges before it is referred to the yet-to-be set up National Judicial Council for inquiry.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law and Justice is of the view that before the case goes to the NJC, it should screened by an Empowered Committee, which should have representation from Parliament, Executive and Bar Council of India.
“We have recommended that a ‘Empowered Committee’ be constituted with a Supreme Court judge as the head and a Union Minister, one MP each from Lok Sabha (Lower House) and Rajya Sabha (Upper House) and a representative from the Bar Council as members,” Panel Chairman E M Sudarsana Natchiappan told PTI.
This move will bring transparency in the entire functioning of the judiciary and the process of inquiring complaints against the Higher Judiciary.
The ‘Empowered Committee’ will screen the complaints against erring judges and if satisfied with the petition filed by the complaintant it will recommend the case to the National Judicial Council for further action.
“The committee thinks if some members outside the judiciary are members of the panel, then there will be transparency. The efficacy of the judiciary’s ‘in-house mechanism’ is not known yet,” he said.
“This is also done to safeguard the name of the judiciary among the general public. “It (judge) is a very honourable post. Cases relating judges should be dealt with a proper perspective,” he said.