lok Sabha MPs, cutting across party lines, on Thursday said judiciary should refrain from "framing" laws and getting into the domain of the legislature.
While supporting the High Court and the Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill, which aims at hiking the salaries of Judges in the Supreme Court and the High Courts, several members stressed on the supremacy of Parliament over judiciary.
Kalyan Banerjee (TMC) demanded that MPs across the political spectrum should approach the Supreme Court and said that "it is not your function" to legislate.
"legislation should be left to Parliament... Day by day the conflict is emerging and unless it is stopped by the judiciary, in 10-15 years, there will be a direct conflict between judiciary and Parliament," Banerjee said.
Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai, who was in the Chair, too said the function of judiciary is to interpret the law. "They can't legislate the law".
Supporting Banerjee's views, P Ravindra Babu (TDP) said Parliament is supreme because "we represent the collective mandate of people."
Babu said the constitutional mandate was vested on Parliament and hence "we (Parliamentarians) should prevail over Supreme Court".
He demanded an 'All India Judicial Service' for recruitment of judges so that they come under the civil services rules.
"Why should judges enjoy immunity," he asked and suggested that there should be accountability of judges and for wrong judgments passed, they should be punished. Several members also pitched for live telecast of proceedings within the High Courts and the Supreme Court. "If Parliament proceedings are telecast live, then why not have live telecast of court proceedings," Banerjee said, adding that if this happens, then people can witness the behaviour of judges.