Rajya Sabha passes Judges Appointments Bill

The Rajya Sabha on Thursday passed the crucial National Judicial Appointments Commission Bill minutes before it was adjourned sine die.

The Bill will allow setting up the National Judicial Appointments Commission which will appoint and transfer judges to the Supreme Courts and the 24 High Courts.

It was also Narendra Modi government’s first real victory in the parliament after forming the government three months back.

With this bill the era of controversial collegiums system is going to end.

Moving the Bill, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “This House respects the independence of the judiciary and this House also respects the power of Parliament,”

“Should we not trust their collective wisdom. If they can govern the country well, they can select eminent persons as well,” he said.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said, “The balancing act is to let this power be collectively exercised…We are restoring the spirit of the Constitution…while maintaining the primacy of the judiciary.”

“Today judges appoint judges and they will probably take the views of the Executive. There is only a marginal role of the consultation with the executive. There is hardly any role that the Governor and Chief Minister has and if the Executive has a contrarian view and there is strong reason for that contrarian view and it conveys to to the judiciary. It is considered as a view not taken,” he added.

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