PM calls for review of appointment for judges

New Delhi: The prime minister Manmohan Singh put the judiciary on trial by calling for judicial appointments to be reviewed.

The move comes two days after three sitting high court judges are in the dock on charges of corruption.

Celebrating the career of one of India's most prominent legal luminary, the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh released Judicial Reflections, a book penned by the former Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice PN Bhagwati.

The PM and the incumbent Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan shared the dias and their views on the state of Indian judicial system with Singh calling upon the judiciary at all levels to introspect.

Singh addressed the gathering saying, “The the time has come for introspection to ensure that judicial appointments at all levels live up to be exacting standards we associate with the name and person of Justice Bhagwati."

The PM's observations come in the backdrop of a series of allegations against higher judiciary in the recent past.

Last month, the chief justice himself had written to the PM seeking initiation of impeachment proceedings against the Calcutta High Court Judge Justice Saumitro Sen.

CJI has also allowed questioning of two Haryana-Punjab high court judges by the CBI in a case where money landed at the doorsteps of a sitting judge.

Investigations have been given a go-ahead in provident fund scam in Ghaziabad involving judges of the higher judiciary.

CJI Balakrishnan was clearly worried on the sidelines of the book release and said, “I am bothered about the rising incidences of corruption in the judiciary.”

The judiciary has in the past resisted any interference in the appointment of judges and the investigation of allegations of corruption against brother judges.

Legal experts feel that setting up of a National Judicial Commission, as suggested in the Judges Inquiry Bill 2006, is the need of the hour to deal with complaints of alleged misconduct and corruption against judges to keep public confidence in the judiciary intact.

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