Implement Lokpal Bill without any further delay, SC orders centre

The court had reserved its verdict on a batch of petitions seeking the appointment of a Lokpal in the country.

In a major verdict, the Supreme Court on Thursday held that there is no justification in delaying the appointments of Lokpal and Lokayuktas. The SC held that the Lokpal Act is a workable piece of legislation and there is no justification in putting its enforcement on hold.

The court held that there is no justification in keeping the Lokpal appointment on hold. The court also rejected the government's reasons to delay the appointment. The court said that it did not agree with the Centre that the absence of a leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha was delaying the appointment of a Lokpal.

The court also said in the selection of an eminent jurist for being part of a selection committee with the prime minister, leader of opposition, Lok Sabha speaker and CJI will have primacy. The court added that the Lokpal can still be selected by a high-level panel led by the prime minister even if the 16th Lok Sabha does not have a leader of opposition.

The court also said that the Lokpal Act is workable in its present form sans proposed changes.

The court had reserved its verdict on a batch of petitions seeking the appointment of a Lokpal in the country. A bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi was told by the centre that the Lokpal cannot be appointed in the current scenario. The Centre also submitted that amendments regarding the definition of the leader of opposition in the Lokpal Act was pending in Parliament.

As per the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act of 2013, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha will be part of the Lokpal selection panel. At present, there is no leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, the Centre contended. It was argued that the Congress, the largest opposition party in the Lok Sabha, lacks requisite number of MPs. Therefore, the leader of opposition post was not granted to it, the Centre represented by Attorney General Muk Rohatgi contended.

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