THE JUDICIAL STANDARDS AND ACCOUNTABILITY BILL, 2010

DEPARTMENT RELATED PARLIAMENTARY STANDING

COMMITTEE ON PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES, LAW

AND JUSTICE INVITES SUGGESTIONS ON

THE JUDICIAL STANDARDS AND ACCOUNTABILITY BILL, 2010 

Last Date of submitting Memorandum : 24th January, 2011

The Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill, 2010 introduced in Lok

Sabha on 1st December, 2010 and pending therein, has been referred to the

Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel,

Public Grievances, Law and Justice, headed by Smt. Jayanthi Natarajan,

Member, Rajya Sabha for examination and report.

2. The Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968 was enacted with a view to lay down a

procedure for removal, for proved misbehavior or incapacity, of Judges of

the High Courts and the Supreme Court by way of address of the Houses of

Parliament to the President.  There is, however, no legal provision at present

for dealing with complaints filed by  the public against Judges of the High

Courts and the Supreme Court.  The  need for a statutory mechanism to

address complaints of the public in this regard has been felt to bring greater

transparency in the judiciary.

3. The Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill, 2010 seeks to repeal

the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, while retaining its basic features and aims to

achieve the objectives of creating a statutory mechanism for enquiring into

individual complaints against Judges  of the High Courts and the Supreme

Court and recommending appropriate action, enabling declaration of assets

and liabilities of Judges and laying down the judicial standards to be

                                                                                                        

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