Want to include 'certain issues' in MoP to appoint judges:Govt

The government would like to include "certain issues" in the Memorandum of Procedure to appoint Supreme Court and High Court judges in consultation with the Chief Justice of India, Law Minister D V Sadananda Gowda said today.
Reacting to a Supreme Court order asking the government to draft the Memorandum of Procedure to appoint judges to the Supreme Court and 24 High Courts, Gowda said "certain issues need to be tackled and these can be carried forward in the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP)."
He, however, did not specify the issues the government would like to add in the Memorandum of Procedure.

But, he added, "it should only be done after due consultation" with the CJI as due "care" must be taken while drafting the document.
Talking to reporters, Gowda said there are over 400 vacancies in High Courts which need to be filled up at the earliest.
"Judgement on reforming Collegium system delivered by Supreme Court today...Supreme Court has left the revision of Memorandum of Procedure to the Government in consultation with CJI...Government will study the judgement in detail and will take appropriate action," he said in a series of tweets later.

Government had suggested a variety of issues to the apex court when it was hearing ways to improve the collegium system. The government had said that the collegium system is opaque and appointments are shrouded in secrecy.

At present, there are two separate memorandum of procedures dealing with appointment of SC and HC judges.
A five-judge constitution bench headed by Justice J S Khehar also asked the government to look into five key aspects -- eligibility criteria, transparency in appointment process, setting up of Secretariat for management of selection process, mechanism to deal with complaints against those who are being considered for appointment and to look into the miscellaneous issues.
The bench, also comprising Justices J Chelameswar, Madan B Lokur, Kurian Joseph and Adarsh Kumar Goel, said that Centre may finalise the existing MOP by supplementing it in consultation with the CJI.