Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai must be lauded for yesterday being the only MLA having the spine to speak out against Narendra Modi government’s devious National Judicial Appointments Commission Bill which will craftily encroach on and undermine the much needed independence of the judiciary.
The current Collegium mode could have been the safest and surest way to preserve the Independence of the Judiciary had it not been reduced to a cabal. The collegium has ended up being a very secret club with the proceedings not being a public record. This veil of secrecy is untenable and cannot go on. The colleguim system should have instead been given a constitutional status with all its deliberations being very transparent and within the purview of the Right to Information Act. There needs to be a reform in the process of judicial appointments by making the judiciary accountable to the public at large while also ensuring it is totally free from political interference. Only then will the Judiciary act as a successful defensive wall against the growing excesses and abuse of power by the executive. But with the government now set to have a say in the selection of judges the awfully dark days are looming for the very Independence and Autonomy of the Judiciary. Modi-fied Judges will soon preside over our Temples of Justice. Aires Rodrigues Advocate High Court C/G-2, Shopping Complex Ribandar Retreat, Ribandar – Goa – 403006 Mobile No: 9822684372 Office Tel No: (0832) 2444012 Email: airesrodrigu...@gmail.com Or airesrodrig...@yahoo.com You can also reach me on Facebook.com/ AiresRodrigues Twitter@rodrigues_aires