New Delhi: BJD Lok Sabha MP from Dhenkanal Tathagata Satpathy Thursday batted for an automated salary increase system for the judges of the High Courts and Supreme Court.
Satpathy was speaking in the Lok Sabha when the High Court and Supreme Court Judges (Salaries & Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill was discussed.
He said, “I suggest their salary matters should not come to the Parliament and we do not drag them to the House. With all respect and dignity let them have an automated system of increase of salary which should be approved by the House.”
The BJD MP also raised several other issues concerning the Indian judiciary. He asked the government to stop resorting to a blame game and focus on filling up judicial appointments. “We have to consider if there had been any pro-active actions from the governments to fill up the judicial vacancies or it is just the blame game on judges,” he said.
He even questioned the government, asking if any attempts were made at the PM level or the law ministerial level on why a former Chief Justice of India come and cry before any elected representative and besides batting for training for the judges while claiming that internationally laws are changing.
He also questioned the government over the ban on lawyers from advertising. He said, “In most parts of Western Europe, Japan, South Korea lawyers are allowed to advertise. Think about the plight of a poor man who visits to metro cities seeking lawyers. They usually do not have ideas about whom to visit. Why they are not allowed to advertise. I want the government to rethink about the issue.”
Satpathy also batted for boosting RTIs in judiciary. He said, “There have been successive Law Commission reports which spoke of transparency. Many judges spoke about the dire need of transparency at courts. Courts should be transparent and they should take the lead in opening the doors for RTI.”
The BJD Chief Whip in Lok Sabha also demanded that in criminal and other cases the complainant should supply the accused with relevant case papers including the police diary, in cases when the complaint is the police.
PNN
