Judicial accountability bill finalised

New Delhi, Aug 25 (PTI) Amid demands from Team Anna that
judiciary be also brought under Lokpal (anti-corruption
ombudsman), the Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill
finalised by a parliamentary panel has recommended inclusion
of two public representatives in a committee to probe senior
judges facing corruption allegations
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law and Justice
and Personnel has recommended inclusion of two "non judicial"
members to become part of the proposed National Judicial
Oversight Committee authorised to initiate probe into
corruption allegations against senior judges.
The Committee, which has examined the Judicial Standards
and Accountability Bill, 2010 in its report adopted on
Thursday, is understood to have recommended inclusion of one
MP each from Lok Sabha (lower house of Parliament) and Rajya
Sabha (upper house) in the National Judicial Oversight
Committee.
Under the Bill, the five-member Oversight Committee
to be headed by a former Chief Justice of India, would have a
Supreme Court judge, a Chief Justice of a High Court, an
eminent person nominated by the President and the Attorney
General of India, who would be the ex-officio member.
Team Hazare has so far opposed the Bill claiming
that it provides for a probe by judges against their
"brothers".
The Standing Committee is learnt to have recommended
that Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha Chairman can nominate
one MP each from each House.
The panel also wants inclusion of non judicial members
in the Scrutiny Committees to be set up to look into
complaints against judges and forwarding the same to the
Oversight Committee on the basis of merit.
The Scrutiny Committee will be in place for Supreme
Court and in each of the 21 High Courts and would submit
reports within three months to the Oversight Committee.
Government has maintained that the Bill would make the
judiciary more accountable, hence there was no need to put
judges under the ambit of Lokpal.