Law soon for judges to disclose their assets: Moily

“I will talk to them (judiciary) on the issue of accountability. While,like other sections of the society,the judiciary is also not beyond reforms,we need to take into account that Indian judiciary enjoys the highest credibility in the world,” Moily said.

On the issue of involvement of Parliamentarians in the proposed National Judicial Council,which will deal with charges of corruption and irregularities by sitting and retired judges,Moily said he would take a final view only after taking to the Chief Justice of India and others.

Moily said his Ministry was also giving final touches to a Bill aimed at setting up a mechanism for inquiring into cases of corruption and irregularities by Judges.

This,he said,was necessary as there is no provision short of impeachment presently to deal with this issue. “We will introduce,as part of 100 days’ programme,a legislation relating to disclosure of assets and liabilities by the judges”,he said.

The Union Law Secretary has already been asked to prepare a detailed draft of the Bill within two days so that it can be sent to the Cabinet at the earliest,Moily said. The Law Minister,however,asserted that it was wrong to say that the judiciary was against disclosure of assets and liabilities.

“We will take the judiciary into full confidence. We are not for a confrontationist line,” he asserted.

To a question about recent instances of corruption in higher judiciary,Moily said the government would ensure that the process of impeachment of Calcutta High Court Judge Soumitra Sen reached its conclusion. “In the last 60 years,impeachment proceedings have not been successful. This time it is going to happen in Soumitra Sen’s case,” he said.

Asked abut the recent decision of a Supreme Court Judge — D K Jain — to disassociate from the three-member committee formed by the Rajya Sabha to probe the case against Sen,Moily said another Supreme Court Judge,Sudershan Reddy,has been already appointed in Jain’s place in consultation with the Chief Justice of India.The Rajya Sabha has also received the intimation.

Talking about the case of Afzal Guru,who is on death row for the past many years after being convicted in the Parliament attack case but whose mercy petition is pending with the Union Home Ministry,Moily said the time had come for the country to evolve a mechanism for quick disposal of mercy petitions.