New Bill wants judges to be mum on political issues

New Delhi: The Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill proposing to lay down new norms and guidelines for judges of the higher judiciary would prefer the judges to keep mum when it comes to political issues. The Bill, slated to replace the Judges Inquiry Act of 1968 and due for placing before the Cabinet, sees two non-existent devils in the judiciary and has gone ahead in providing counter-mecha-nisms to them. It is an unwritten yet strictly followed code -- judges of the high courts or the Supreme Court never speak out on matters falling within the political domain.They also scrupulously adhere to the judicial discipline of not commenting on a judgment delivered by them.Yet,the new Bill proposes that it would be a misconduct if a judge gives an interview to the media on judgments delivered by him or participates in public debates or expresses views on political matters.

There is a proposal to set up a scrutiny committee comprising judges in every high court to deal with complaints against judges.If the committee finds merit in any complaint it would forward it for investigation by a high-level Judicial Oversight Committee.If the latter committee feels action is needed to be taken against the erring judge,it will send a recommendation to the President to that effect,the Bill proposes. The Bill also incorporates a clause restricting the time to three months for a judge to deliver a judgment after conclusion of the arguments in a case.

(source-toi)

Targets set up by cat benches to dispose pending cases

The number of cases filed in Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has been increasing during the recent past. During the period July, 2007 to December, 2008 a number of corporations/societies and other authorities were brought within the jurisdiction of the Central Administrative Tribunal, which raised the number of autonomous bodies/corporations/societies owned or controlled by the Central Government from 47 to 191. As a result, a few thousand cases were transferred from various High Courts and other Subordinate Courts to the respective Benches of the Central Administrative Tribunal and this is one of the reasons for increase in the number of cases registered in the Tribunal. The number of cases filed in the Central Administrative Tribunal, increased and there was corresponding increase in the rate of disposal of cases, and overall pendency has been under control. As on January 31, 2010, pendencey in respect of all the Benches of the Tribunal is 22440. During the year, 1824 cases were instituted and 1911 were disposed. For 2009, 24496 cases were instituted, 23681 were disposed and 22527 were pending. The following steps have been taken to clear the pending cases:

(i) Monthly Pendency report is called for from all the benches of Central Administrative Tribunal and the rate of disposal is personally monitored by the Chairman, Central Administrative Tribunal

(ii) Targets are set up by the Chairman for the Benches.

(iii) During the All India Conference 2009, the Benches were advised to give priority to disposal of old cases pending since 2004 to 2007.

This information was given by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Shri Prithviraj Chavan in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.
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(source-CG Employees news)

CAT asks Delhi Police to inquire afresh charge against constable

New Delhi, Feb 26 (PTI) The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has asked the Delhi Police to conduct a fresh inquiry against a constable who was allegedly found sleeping during duty hours and whose service tenure was cut by three years as punishment. Quashing the order of the appellate authority, the CAT directed the Delhi Police to rehear his appeal by a Joint Commissioner rank official.
Ghaziabad-resident Manbir Singh, a constable with the Delhi Police, was found guilty of sleeping during duty hours by the appellate authority.

The appellate authority, while holding a departmental inquiry against an employee, should go into the allegations independently rather than basing its decisions on on extraneous material, the CAT, comprising Vice Chairman M Ramachandran and Member N D Dayal, said. "The appellate authority has rested its decision on extraneous material and not on the evidence that has forth come in the inquiry.
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Delhi HC asks school to allow accused to appear in exam


New Delhi, Feb 26(PTI) The Delhi High Court today directed the principal of a NCT government-run school to allow a student, who was expelled following a chargesheet against him for allegedly molesting a girl in October last year, to appear in the class-XI examinations. Directing the principal to allow the student to appear in the examination, Justice G S Sistani stayed the January 28 order passed by the school expelling him from the school. "Examination of the petitioner(accused) shall be held in the office of Principal of the school and the Principal is directed to issue admit card to the petitioner forthwith," said Justice Sistani in an order.

Meanwhile, the court issued a notice to the Directorate of Education, NCT Delhi on a plea by the accused that the school has violated the provisions of the Delhi Education Act.
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(source-PTI)