Government busy preparing MoP for judges’ appointment

New Delhi, Aug 19 (IANS) The government is in the process of drafting a Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) for appointment of judges for the higher judiciary on the basis of Supreme Court judgment favouring transparent, broad-based and criterion-based procedure for appointment of judges, official sources said.

The apex court struck down the 99th Constitutional Amendment, paving way for the National Judicial Appointments Commission and the NJAC ACT which had sought to give the Law Minister and eminent people from civil society a say in the appointment of judges to the highest courts, by its verdict on October 16, 2015, and December 12, 2015.

On August 12, the Supreme Court criticised the Narendra Modi government for sitting on its recommendations for the top court collegium.

The apex court, while pulling up the government, had said that dragging of feet on its recommendations was bringing the judicial functioning to a "grinding halt".

Having said this, Chief Justice T.S. Thakur had told Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi that it may be forced to intervene into the matter judicially by summoning the files relating to the recommendations of the appointment of judges to the High Courts.