Congress hails move to ensure accountability of higher judiciary

New Delhi, Nov 10 (UNI) The Congress Party today hailed the decision of the Manmohan Singh government to enact a new legislation seeking to ensure accountability and transparency in the functioning of higher judiciary, and said "it is one more milestone in the journey of the party in making revolutionary laws to act as instruments of social change." Referring to the Judges (Inquiry) Bill 2006, which was cleared by the Union Cabinet yesterday for being introduced in the winter session of Parliament, AICC Spokesman Abishek Manu Singhvi said the proposed legislation seeks to strike appropriate balance between in-house correction which is necessary to inspire confidence in the great institutions of judiciary. On the other hand, it insulates Judiciary from other organs of democracy.

Under the provisions of the bill, Supreme Court and High Court Judges against whom charges of misbehaviour or incapacity are proved may face actions ranging from advisories to removal and denial of government assignment, arbitration work and chamber practice.

At the same time, anyone found to have made false or frivolous or vexatious complaints against a Judge may face a year's imprisonment and up to Rs 25,000 fine.

The bill provides for setting up a National Judicial Council made up of Chief Justice of India, two seniormost Supreme Court Judges and two High Courts Chief Justices to be nominated by the CJI, irrespective of seniority.

Dr Singhvi said National Judicial Council would come out with requisite norms and modules of accountability without which the judicial system itself can become powerless.

He said the Congress-led UPA government had been repeatedly progressive, forward looking, and reformist in its legislations.

Citing the Right to Information Act, Domestic Violence Act and the National Rurual Employment Guarantee Act, he said these revolutionary legislations had ushered in new approach. They sought to create and operationalise effacious vehicles of accountability.

"In this continuing change of empowering legislation furthering the objectives of accountability, transparency and efficient delivery mechanism, we now have the Judges (Inquiry) Bill which provides for greater accountability of higher judiciary by the higher judiciary and for the higher judiciary." More UNI SH/YS/SN VD RS1752