Submit ideas on complaint mechanism against judges in two weeks: SC

The Supreme Court Thursday gave two weeks time to senior counsel Fali Nariman and P.P.Rao two weeks time to gave their suggestions on putting in place a mechanism to deal with the complaints of sexual harassment by sitting and retired judges at all levels including the apex court.

A bench of Chief Justice P.Sathasivam and Justice Ranjan Gogoi gave two weeks time as Nariman and Rao said that they needed more time to submit their note on creating mechanism.

Giving two weeks time to the duo who are amicus curiae (assisting the court) in the case, the court said that the matter would be heard by a three judge bench.

The bench of Chief Justice Sathasivam, Justice Gogoi and Justice Shiva Kirti Singh Jan 15 had issued notice on a law graduate's plea to put in place a permanent mechanism to attend to the complaints of sexual harassment by both sitting and former judges at all levels of the judiciary.

The law graduate had alleged sexual harassment by the judge under whom she was interning in May 2011.

The notices were issued to the central government - through the environment and forests ministry, the apex court's secretary general, Justice(retd) SwatanterKumar, and Attorney General G.E. Vahanvati.

While Solicitor General Mohan Prasaran in his opinion to the ministry had said that it could take no action against Justice Kumar under the National Green Tribunal Act as there was nothing against him in his capacity as the panel's head and the charges related to his tenure as apex court judge.

The judge has denied all the allegation leveled against him.