New Delhi:The Centre plans to introduce a 'state-of-the-art' legislation during the winter session of Parliament
to deal with complaints of corruption against judges and also to ensure accountability of the higher judiciary. The Judges Standards and Accountability Bill will cover
the "entire judiciary" and would not be a "one sided affair," claimed Law and
Justice Minister M Veerappa Moily. It would also provide appropriate protection
to the judges, he added. Moily said the Judges Inquiry Act of 1968 would be repealed
once the proposed bill is adopted. Moily said, "The Judges Inquiry Bill deals
only with the impeachment process of judges. We want to replace it with a comprehensive
Judges Standards and Accountability Bill." The plan assumes significance in the
context of growing complaints of misconduct against judges of the higher judiciary
and a feeling that the redressal system is ineffective. The "forward looking"
bill has been drafted after taking into consideration "the best of lessons" learnt
from all over the world, including United Kingdom, France and the US.
