Primacy of judiciary shall be maintained: Prasad

Union Law and Justice Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad Wednesday assured the Lok Sabha that the proposed National Judicial Appointments Commission would not affect the primacy of the judiciary.

Replying to the discussion in the lower house on two bills which aim to replace the collegium system of appointing judges, the minister affirmed that "primacy of the judiciary is very much there".

The National Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2014 and the Constitution (121st Amendment) Bill seek to regulate the procedure to be followed for recommending people for appointment as chief justice of India and other judges of the Supreme Court as well as the high courts and their transfer.

"Let me recount that Chief Justice of India is the head of the commission. Two senior most judges are there. The chief justice is a part of the team of the prime minister, the chief justice and leader of opposition to select the two eminent members," Prasad said.

"Everywhere the primacy of judiciary is there," the minister assured members in the lower house.