Corruption in judiciary : Confirmed by Union Law Minister
(Times of India, dated 27 November'2009, Mumbai edition, page 15)
New bill soon to curb corruption in judiciary
New Delhi: The government will soon bring a new legislation to check corruption in judiciary and to ensure accountability among judges.
Announcing this in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, Union law minister M Veerappa Moily said the Judges Standard and Accountability Bill will be brought before the cabinet and introduced in Parliament soon.
Responding to a private member’s resolution on confrontation between the legislature and the judiciary, Moily said: “...a proposal is going to the cabinet that we need to replace, with the permission of Parliament, the Judges Inquiry Act with the Judges Standard and Accountability Bill.”
Referring to the issues concerning the judiciary, including corruption and misuse of PILs, raised by members, the law minister said the time has come to revisit some of them and come out with a legislation.
On declaration of assets, he said the government had brought a bill, but there were some disputes even at the introduction stage. Still, it had its effect on the judiciary. “We must commend the judiciary. They have responded well to the wishes (by declaring their assets) of this Parliament,” he added.
The law minister also stressed the need to prevent abuse of PILs, saying precious time of courts should not be wasted on frivolous and bogus litigation.
On separation of powers of the executive, the legislature and the judiciary, Moily quoted from Supreme Court judgments to say that “The judiciary, executive and the legislature have to be accountable to the people.” He added: “Rivalry and supremacy has to end... They cannot override each other... We cannot ignore the sovereign will of the people.”
Moily paints a gloomy picture of rule of law
New Delhi: Law minister M Veerappa Moily on Thursday painted a gloomy picture of rule of law in the country, saying the scenario was dismal as far as protection of people’s fundamental rights and their right to speedy justice were concerned.
The National Legal Mission drafted by the UPA government would fast-track the justice delivery mechanism soon, he told Supreme Court judges and lawyers at a Law Day function. He pointed out that more than 60% of the 3 lakh undertrials were languishing in jails because of long delays in disposal of cases.
Making special mention of women, children, Dalits and undertrials, he said 70% of married women were facing domestic violence, every 35 minutes there was a crime against children and every 18 minutes there was a crime against a Dalit. “They need justice. It is life for them. Are we not supposed to take justice to their doorstep?... If we do not address these problems, we will trigger eruption of a volcano over which we are sitting. Timely redress of their grievances will surely lift us away from the volcano,” Moily said.
Attorney general G E Vahanvati said brevity was one virtue which lawyers and judges had forgotten these days. “Lawyers continue to argue for days and judges render voluminous judgments. Both are not good for the country saddled with so much of pendency,” he said.
Giving an update on case pendency, CJI K G Balakrishnan said though trial courts disposed of nearly 2 crore cases last year, fresh filing of 1.8 crore cases kept the pendency at 2.72 crore. TNN
