New Delhi:
New requests for the Supreme Court to be more open about those who serve as judges. A month after the Supreme Court judges, under pressure, agreed to go public with their assets, they're now being asked to explain exactly how a judge makes it to the Supreme Court.
The driving force behind this: the Central Information Commission, which is acting on an application filed by an ordinary citizen.
The Commission said on Wednesday, "The process of judicial appointments and transfers is shrouded in mystery. Openness must characterize the functioning of the judicial apparatus."
For now, the country's senior-most judge is willing to commit only to an internal debate on the issue. "The Supreme Court judges will decide on this," says KG Balakrishnan, the Chief Justice of India.
Currently, a Collegium or panel of senior Supreme Court judges decides which High Court judges should be promoted; this list is then forwarded to the government, which does not question the recommendations.
Reacting to the criticism about the lack of transparency, the Chief Justice says perhaps Parliament should change the existing laws about how judges are promoted. When asked if that's something the government is considering, the Law Minister, Veerappa Moily is non-committal; "let us see," he says.
The Central Information Commission has also said the public has the right to know which Union Minister tried to influence a Madras High Court judge in a case involving anticipatory bail. So will the Chief Justice share letters written to him by the High Court judge? "I don't correspond with any High Court judges," he responds.
It was an application under the Right to Information Act that forced Supreme Court judges to declare their assets, something they had originally objected to strongly.
The driving force behind this: the Central Information Commission, which is acting on an application filed by an ordinary citizen.
The Commission said on Wednesday, "The process of judicial appointments and transfers is shrouded in mystery. Openness must characterize the functioning of the judicial apparatus."
For now, the country's senior-most judge is willing to commit only to an internal debate on the issue. "The Supreme Court judges will decide on this," says KG Balakrishnan, the Chief Justice of India.
Currently, a Collegium or panel of senior Supreme Court judges decides which High Court judges should be promoted; this list is then forwarded to the government, which does not question the recommendations.
Reacting to the criticism about the lack of transparency, the Chief Justice says perhaps Parliament should change the existing laws about how judges are promoted. When asked if that's something the government is considering, the Law Minister, Veerappa Moily is non-committal; "let us see," he says.
The Central Information Commission has also said the public has the right to know which Union Minister tried to influence a Madras High Court judge in a case involving anticipatory bail. So will the Chief Justice share letters written to him by the High Court judge? "I don't correspond with any High Court judges," he responds.
It was an application under the Right to Information Act that forced Supreme Court judges to declare their assets, something they had originally objected to strongly.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
