Govt to review procedures for appointment of judges: Moily

Government may have a fresh look at the method of appointment of judges to higher judiciary. It also intends to come out with a comprehensive bill to deal with complaints of corruption against judges, Law Minister M Veerappa Moily said today.

Government may have a fresh look at the method of appointment of judges to higher judiciary. It also intends to come out with a comprehensive bill to deal with complaints of corruption against judges, Law Minister M Veerappa Moily said on Wednesday.

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Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, he said the Government would not like to see any "tainted" person becoming a judge.

At the same time, he refused to be drawn into a discussion on Karnataka Chief Justice P D Dinakaran whose
elevation to the Supreme Court has been kept in abeyance over allegations of grabbing land.

"Already there is a memorandum of procedure (on appointment of judges) which we are going by as of today. I am not reiterating that the same thing will continue. Maybe, we have to revisit the procedure. Whatever we do, we need to take the judiciary into full confidence" he said.

He was replying to a question whether the Government was contemplating making changes in the procedures for such
appointments.

Moily referred to the 1993 and 1998 decisions of the apex court which led to the Memorandum of Procedures relating
to Supreme Court Collegium that appoints judges to the higher judiciary.

There have been demands from political parties that the appointment of judges should revert back to the government.