Lok Sabha passes Judicial Appointments Commission Bill

While the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill was passed by a voice vote, the Constitution Amendment Bill was passed after a division, with 376 members voting in its favour.

The Constitution (99th Amendment) Bill and the National Judicial Appointment Commission Bill 2014 were passed by the Lok Sabha after Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad reportedly assured members that the government did not have any intention of interfering in the functioning of the judiciary.

The Bills will now have to be passed by the Rajya Sabha before they are sent to the President for his assent.

The Bills propose that the Chief Justice of India will head a six-member National Judicial Appointments Commission, other members of which would be the Law Minister, two senior Supreme Court judges and two eminent people.

As per media reports, a collegium comprising the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice of India and the leader of the single largest party in the Lok Sabha will select the two eminent people. One eminent person will be nominated from among the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, OBCs, minorities or women.

The Judicial Appointments Commission Bill replaces the existing Collegium system in the appointment of Judges to Supreme Court and High Courts.