SC taking over legislature's power: Congress MP

The Supreme Court is gradually taking over the law-making powers of the legislatures and there is a need to restore the right of the legislatures and their constitutional dignity, Rajya Sabha MP from Goa Shantaram Naik said Tuesday.

The Congress MP, who is also the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice was addressing the Advisory Council of the National Mission For Justice Delivery and Legal Reforms here.

"The Supreme Court today lays guidelines through a number of judgments and expects everybody to follow the same as if it is a legislation enacted by parliament or state legislature," Naik said in a statement.

He said the apex court's empowerment committees had "virtually taken over government department(s)".

The MP said it was not the environment and forests ministry which decided environment- related issues but it was the Empowerment Committee constituted by the Supreme Court which submitted its report on the basis of which the decisions were given.