The Chairman of the Bar Council of India (BCI) should be made one of the members of the proposed National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC), the Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) said today.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, DHCBA welcomed the NJAC Bill which will replace the collegium system of appointment of judges and sought the participation of the Bar in the new mechanism.
"Sir, we all know that the Bar and Bench are integral parts of the judicial system and participation of eminent members of the Bar will bring more value and transparency in such appointments, ensuring judicial independence and accountability as enshrined in constitutional norms.
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"BCI is a national body of all state Bar councils and participation of its chairman in the appointment process will ensure strengthening of the federal scheme of the Constitution," the letter said.
DHCBA President Rajiv Khosla also suggested that the parameters for the selection of judges should be clearly specified in the rules.
Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had moved the Bill to "regulate the procedure to be followed by the NJAC for recommending persons for appointment as the Chief Justice of India and other judges of the Supreme Court and chief justices and other judges of high courts and for their transfers".
The new Bill proposes to establish a six-member body, the NJAC, which will be headed by CJI. Besides the CJI, the judiciary would be represented by two senior judges of the apex court. Two eminent personalities and the law minister will be the other members.
