Govt to revisit procedures for appointment of judges: Moily

Government may have a fresh look at the method of appointment of judges to higher judiciary and would not like to see that any tainted person becoming a judge, law minister M Veerappa Moily said today.

At the same time, he refused to be drawn into a discussion on Karnataka chief justice PD Dinakaran whose elevation to the supreme court has been kept in abeyance over allegations of landgrabbing.

Addressing a press conference, Moily said government wanted to come out with a comprehensive bill to deal with complaints of corruption against judges.

"Already there is a memorandum of procedure (on appointment of judges) which we are going by as of today. I am not reiterating that the same thing will continue. May be, we have to revisit the procedure. Whatever we do, we need to take the judiciary into full confidence" he said.

He was replying to a question whether government was contemplating making changes in the procedures for such appointments.

Moily referred to the 1993 and 1998 decisions of the apex court which led to the Memorandum of Procedures relating to supreme court Collegium that appoints judges to the higher judiciary.

There have been demands from political parties that the appointment of judges should revert back to the government.