DISAPPOINTMENT EXPRESSED BY SUPREME COURT ON CENTRE FOR..

DISAPPOINTMENT EXPRESSED BY SUPREME COURT ON CENTRE FOR NOT APPOINTING LOKPAL

The Supreme Court on Wednesday expressed its disappointment over the Centre for not appointing Lokpal despite Parliament enacting a law in this regard in January 2014.While the Centre said that the amendment bill is pending in Parliament to include the leader of largest opposition party, a bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur said that Parliament, by not amending the law, cannot frustrate the mandate for appointment of Lokpal.

The bench also asked Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi as to why the court can’t pass an order to include the leader of largest opposition party in the selection committee. In a counter argument, Mr Rohatgi said, as per the provisions, the largest opposition party has to have a certain number of MPs in Parliament to claim the post of the leader of the opposition.

He told the bench that any order by the court in the present situation would amount to judicial legislation. Senior advocate Shanti Bhushan appearing for an NGO, Common Cause, said that the Lokpal Bill has been passed after a long struggle and alleged that the government is not doing anything. He said people don’t have Lokpal even today, despite the Act being notified in 2014 The bench posted the matter for further hearing on December 7 when the AG would come back with instructions.