HC judges to discuss electoral laws, limits of EC's role in polls

New Delhi, Oct 3: As five states are set to go for assembly polls early next year, high court judges will discuss next month issues like criminalisation of politics and the scope and limits of the supervisory role of the Election Commission in the conduct of polls.

The National Judicial Academy, Bhopal has organised an annual conference on 'Application of Election Law' next month for high court judges. The two-day conference will discuss issues such as supervisory and regulatory jurisdiction of the Election Commission and its scope and limits.

Amid frequent allegations that ruling party misuses government machinery, the conference will also discuss the issue of legislative framework and judicial response to misuse of government machinery in elections.

Against the backdrop of various proposals of the EC related to electoral reforms pending with the government, the judges will also discuss judicial contributions to electoral reforms, as per the schedule of the conference.

In its July 10, 2013 judgement, the Supreme Court had struck down sub-section 4 of Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, under which incumbent MPs, MLAs and MLCs can avoid disqualification till pendency of the appeal against conviction in a higher court.

As the apex court's verdict is the law of the land now, conviction of lawmakers in certain cases, including those relating to corruption, leads to their immediate disqualification as a member of any House of legislature.

While the terms of the assemblies of Goa, Manipur, Punjab and Uttarakhand are coming to an end in March next year, the term of the Uttar Pradesh assembly ends in May next. The assembly polls in these states are likely to be held sometime early next year. Funded by the Government of India, the National Judicial Academy is an independent society established in 1993.

The Chief Justice of India is the Chairman of the General Body of NJA as well as the Chairman of the Governing Council, the Executive Committee and the Academic Council of NJA.

PTI