law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday informed the lok Sabha that the Government is seeking views of various political parties and eminent jurists to set up a Judicial Appointments Commission which seeks to scrap the present system of judges appointing judges.
He also said the Ministry is initiating steps to introduce a bill afresh for making registration of marriages compulsory. law Minister said a Constitutional Amendment Bill to set up the proposed commission has lapsed following the dissolution of the 15th lok Sabha and an accompanying bill is pending in the Rajya Sabha.
“The Government is seeking the views of various political parties and eminent jurists on the proposal for setting up of a Judicial Appointments Commission,” he said in a written reply. An earlier effort by the NDA Government to replace the collegium system in 2003 did not succeed.
According to the UPA bill, while new Article 124 A of the Constitution will define the composition of JAC, Article 124 B will define its functions. Regarding the new bill on registration of marriages, Prasad told the lok Sabha that since a previous bill on the issue had lapsed following the dissolution of the 15th lok Sabha, “now steps are being initiated for introduction of the bill afresh”. In a written reply, Prasad said the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2012 to provide for compulsory registration of marriages irrespective of the religious denomination of the “parties” or couples was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on May 7, 2012.
It was passed by the Upper House on August 13, 2013. The Bill could not reach the lok Sabha for consideration and passage and has lapsed following the dissolution of the lower House on February 21 this year.