Former SC, HC Judges Set Up Independent Panel to Probe SIR

New Delhi: A lawyers' association has set up a panel of former Supreme Court and high court judges to examine the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll undertaken by the Election Commission (EC).

The Lawyers Association for Constitution (LAFC), in a release, said the five-member commission, headed by former Supreme Court judge Madan B Lokur, will examine the constitutional and statutory validity, methodology and overall impact of the exercise to revise the voter list.

"The newly-formed independent commission of former judges on the Special Intensive Revision of the electoral roll will function with complete autonomy to examine the constitutional and statutory validity, methodology and overall impact of the SIR exercise on eligible voters," it said.

Besides Lokur, the panel will comprise former Supreme Court judge A K Patnaik, former chief justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Badar Durrez Ahmad and former judges Rekha Sharma and Anjana Prakash.

The commission will examine, among other issues, whether eligible citizens were retained on the electoral roll and whether ineligible entries were appropriately excluded, the release said.

As part of its inquiry, the commission plans to hold public hearings across the country, with full and regional benches travelling to different locations to record the views and testimonies of affected citizens, civil society organisations and experts.

The LAFC said the commission would have the final responsibility for its findings and recommendations.

It said a number of senior lawyers, including Kapil Sibal, Prashant Bhushan, Chander Uday Singh, Prashanto Chandra Sen, Raju Ramachandran, Rebecca Mammen John, Warisha Farasat and Vrinda Grover, would provide strategic legal advice to the commission.