The government on Monday withdrew the UPA’s Bill on judicial appointments in the Rajya Sabha and introduced a fresh one in the Lok Sabha, where it has a majority.
The National Judicial Appointments Commission Bill, 2014, and the 121st Constitution Amendment Bill (Insertion of new articles 124A, 124B and 124C) were introduced in the Lok Sabha by Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.
The Constitutional Amendment Bill scraps the collegium system and establishes a six-member body for appointment of judges. The other Bill lays down the procedure to be followed for appointment and transfer of judges. It is proposed that the Chief Justice of India will head the commission. The judiciary will be represented by two senior judges of the Supreme Court. Two eminent personalities and the Law Minister will be the other members of the proposed body. As Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee urged discussion of the Bill soon, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said the Government would have it listed at the earliest
