National Judicial Appointments Commission to be set up

With the assent of President Pranab Mukherjee to the judicial appointments commission bill, the collegium system of appointing judges to Supreme Court and high courts came to an end.

The bill has already been passed by Parliament and ratified by at least 17 states. Moreover many other states are in the process of ratifying it. As this is a constitutional amendment bill, it is mandatory for it to be ratified by at least half of the states, after being passed by Parliament.

This bill ends the system of which the Supreme Court had instituted in 1993, through a judgement. The motive behind it was to end the practice of appointing the judges by the government.

Six member commission headed by the chief justice of India and comprising TWO senior SC judges, TWO eminent members and the law minister.

The two eminent members would be appointed by the panel comprising CJI, PM, Leader of the largest opposition party in Lok Sabha.

These two prominent members will have tenure of 3 years and one of them would be from the categories of SC, ST, Women or the minority community.