With large support, BJP puts National Judicial Appointments Commission Bill on table

New Delhi: The government on Monday introduced the National Judicial Appointments Commission Bill, 2014 in the Lok Sabha. The Bill seeks to change the system of appointing judges to the Supreme Court and High Courts. The government’s move came within hours of Chief Justice of India R.M. Lodha strongly defending the collegium system of judges selecting judges.

“If the collegium system has failed then we are all failed,” Chief Justice Lodha had remarked earlier in the day. The government is seeking to pass the Bill in the next three days in the Lok Sabha. The government succeeded in isolating the Congress in the Rajya Sabha and withdrew an earlier Bill introduced by the previous UPA government. With the government enjoying a simple majority in the Lok Sabha and non-Congress parties on board in the Rajya Sabha, sources said the government would seek to get the new Bill passed in the current session of Parliament.

The Bill aims to effect a constitutional amendment, which requires approval by a two-thirds majority in each House. Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had last week written to 26 parties, most of whom have reportedly backed the Bill. The Bill seeks to set up a six-member national panel to select members of the higher judiciary, who are currently picked by a collegium comprising the five seniormost judges.

The proposed commission will be headed by the Chief Justice of India and will have as its members two judges of the Supreme Court, the Union law minister and two eminent jurists. Earlier in the day, the government isolated the Congress and withdrew the UPA’s Bill for making judicial appointments from the Rajya Sabha.

Mr Prasad promised to replace the Bill with a new and comprehensive one as other Opposition parties, like the Samajwadi Party, BSP, AIADMK, DMK and TMC, openly supported the government’s bid to reform the judicial appointments process.