Any Ideas To Improve Judges' Accountability ?

New Delhi, Jan 3 (UNI) Suggestions have been invited on creating a judicial forum to deal with complaints against Judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts, it was announced today.

The announcement was made by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice to which the Judges (Inquiry) Bill, 2006 has been referred for detailed examination and report.

The panel headed by Dr E M Sudarsana Natchiappan, M P, Rajya Sabha said the Bill followed the Law Commission's recommendations in its 195th Report for a suitable legislative framework to deal with such complaints.

The Bill seeks to : -- Establish a National Judicial Council to look into the allegations of misbehaviour or incapacity of the Judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts; -- Regulate the procedure for such investigation, inquiry and proof; and -- Empower the National Judicial Council for imposing minor measures.

Anyone wishing to submit memoranda to the Committee may send two copies-- in English or Hindi-- to Rajya Sabha Secretariat Deputy Secretary R B Gupta in Room No 005 of Parliament House Annexe within thirty days, indicating also any interest in giving oral evidence before the Committee, it said.

The memoranda will be part of the Committee records and not circulated to anyone, it said, adding that any act contrary thereto would constitute a breach of privilege of the Committee.

The Bill was published in the Gazette of India dated December 19, 2006 and can be downloaded from http://rajyasabha.nic.in.

UNI