BackDecision on judicial reforms within two months: Moily
Decision on judicial reforms within two months: Moily
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New Delhi: With members cornering the government on the delay in implementing judicial reforms, law minister M Veerappa Moily Thursday assured the Lok Sabha that a decision on the matter would be taken within two months.
“I assure the members that the matter has to come to a logical conclusion. We have to have a national consensus and also not take much time. We will take only a couple of months and not couple of years," he said during the question hour.
Moily said the process had been “agonising" and “too long" and informed members that the government was in the process of preparing a roadmap for judicial reforms.
Stating that a national consensus on judicial reforms was necessary to move forward, the law minister said “There is no need to confront the judiciary on this issue."
To a question on reservation in higher judiciary for the weaker sections, he said the government was not considering such a proposal.
“We are not considering reservations for SC, ST, BC and other weaker sections in appointment of judges to high courts and supreme courts," he said.
However, he said, the government would consciously suggest names of persons from the weaker sections for the consideration of the Collegium to be appointed as judges in higher judiciary.
"Social engineering in whatever form, including in the judiciary, needs to be addressed. Social engineering is not charity, but a right,“ Moily said.
On the issues of transparency in judicial appointments, he agreed with the Lok Sabha members that it needed to be addressed.
He said the Law Commission had suggested in its report that the primacy of the Chief Justice of India and the power of the executive to appoint and high courts judges should be restored.
The Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee had recommended that appointment of judges could be entrusted to a wider body other than the Collegium with representation from both judiciary and the executive, he said.
To a question on capital punishment for dowry cases, the minister replied in the negative.
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