Rajasthan on Wednesday became the first State to ratify the >National Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2014 which was passed by Parliament last month. The Bill needs to be endorsed by at least 15 States before it can be sent for Presidential assent and brought into effect. The 121st Constitutional Amendment was also adopted by the House simultaneously.
The Assembly unanimously passed a resolution to endorse the Bill that seeks to end the two-decade-old collegium system of appointments and transfer of judges and establish the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC). It lays down the procedure to be followed by the proposed Commission for recommending persons for appointment as Chief Justice of India and other judges of the Supreme Court, and Chief Justice and other judges of High Courts.
Replying to the debate, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rajendra Rathore said it was an achievement of sorts that Rajasthan had become the first State to endorse the Central Bill. Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje was present in the House when the resolution was passed.
Initiating the debate in the House, Ghanshyam Tiwari of the Congress said his party had supported the Bill in Parliament because no where in the world did the judges appoint themselves and the collegium system was flawed.
