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New Delhi, Jan 31 - The government is contemplating a law to ensure that a judge facing even slightest suspicion of corruption, judicial misconduct or impropriety ends up forfeiting chances of elevation to the higher courts, Law minister M. Veerappa Moily said Sunday.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a seminar on need to strengthen laws to fight cyber crime, Moily said the government is all set to introduce bills to ensure judges' accountability and 33 percent reservation for women in parliament and state legislatures.
'With the help of the bill on judges accountability, we will ensure no tainted judge gets promoted,' said Moily, adding: 'Even the slightest needle of suspicion will stall their promotion.'
The government's move comes in the wake of controversy involving Karnataka High Court Chief Justice P.D. Dinakaran's elevation to the apex court that had to be stopped due to allegations of corruption and judicial misconduct.
Asked for the government's stand on whether the Right to Information Act - should apply to the CJI's office, Moily said: 'Judiciary has to be transparent. One should not cross the 'laxman rekha'. There is some proposal which the Department of Personnel and Training is looking into. However, the power of parliament will be paramount.'
'We only want that applicability of RTI to the office of CJI should be at par with other countries. We are examining as to what is the scenario in other countries,' Moily said.
Listing priorities of his ministry, Moliy said: 'Freeing of undertrials who have been languishing in jails for petty offences is the first step. After seeing an overwhelming response in Delhi, wherein 42 prisoners were freed, the same scene was visible in other states as well.'
'Under the national litigation policy, our aim is to reduce the arrears from 15 years to three years. No case should drag for more than three years,' Moily said, adding that in April, the second phase of the vision document stressing the need for legal education will be introduced.
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