Sting Against Judges? Don't Ask Me: CJI

New Delhi, Mar 12: India's Chief Justice Yogesh Kumar Sabharwal yesterday (Mar 11, 2006) declined to take a question on whether media stings of the sort attempted against politicians ought to be tried against corrupt judges.

''Better don't ask me this question,'' Justice Sabharwal told journalists, adding that petitions and appeals arising presumably out of stings against Members of Parliament were pending in courts.

His remarks came after a day-long conference of Chief Ministers and High Court Chief Justices opened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh underscoring the need to 'tackle corruption in the judiciary.' Corruption in the judiciary and court delays were counted by Dr Singh, among common litigants' problems, that must be examined and remedied.

''Instances of corruption have now begun to surface in our judicial system, too,'' Dr Singh remarked, emphasising that ''an important aspect of the reform and modernisation of the judiciary and improving the incentive mechanism, is to tackle corruption in the judiciary.'' The conference centring on Justice: Accelerated and Affordable heard a keynote address by Justice Sabharwal promising ''zero tolerance'' to corruption.

Asked at the news conference to comment on a proposed national judicial council to ensure discipline in judiciary, Justice Sabharwal said he had not yet received a copy of the Law Commission recommendations.

The recommendations were submitted by the Law Commission Chairman to Law and Justice Minister Hans Raj Bhardwaj, who sat on the dais next to the CJI.

On a controversy arising from the Lok Sabha Speaker ignoring a Court notice, Justice Sabharwal dismissed suggestions of any confrontation brewing between the organs of Indian governance. ''I see no confrontation at all.'' He declined to comment on specific instances citing pending litigation, but pointed out that cases were decided by courts with or without participation of those to whom notices were sent and did not make the decisions any less valuable.

He said the powers of all organs were well defined and separated in the Indian constitution, leaving no scope for confrontation.

On a Bar Council of India decision to stop addressing judges as 'my lord' or 'your lordship'-- expressions lawyers have used since the days of erstwhile British rule and not given up despite 58 years of independence, Justice Sabharwal said he would be too happy.

Justice Sabharwal said the conference discussions covered broadly three areas-- giving judiciary limited financial autonomy, giving it a freer hand in appointments of magistrates and setting up a mechanism to implement decisions taken at such conferences.

UNI