AAP hails SC's decision to quash NJAC

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday welcomed the Supreme Court's verdict striking down the BJP-led central government's proposed National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC).

"The AAP is of the firm view that independence of the judiciary and a transparent system for the appointment of judges are of equal importance as both of them are interlinked," the party said in a statement here.

The Narendra Modi-led central government tried to rush through the bill to change the system of judges' appointment in higher judiciary to wrest control of it and the Supreme Court has rightly quashed it, declaring both the 99th constitutional amendment as well as the bill to create the NJAC as unconstitutional, the party said.

"There is no denying the fact that the collegium system for appointment of judges, which has been in existence for over two decades now, is not an ideal system and requires drastic changes," the AAP, however, added.

The party said the new appointment system for judges could have been worse than the existing one.

"If the collegium system is opaque, then the now axed NJAC was heavily loaded in favour of the ruling party. Had it been implemented, it would have led to gross political interference in the appointment of judges," it said.

--Indo-Asia News Service

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