New Delhi: The Centre's plan to set up an
all-India judicial services may not take off soon due to
lack of unanimity among various states and the High Courts on
the issue.
"The issue of an all-India judicial service came up
for discussions. But there was no unanimity as the various
states and their High Courts have their own views... the debate
will continue. We do not wish to impose ourselves," Law
Minister M Veerappa Moily told reporters here on Sunday.
He said the Department of Justice in the Law Ministry
will prepare a consultation paper on the issue.
Moily was speaking after attending the regional
meeting of six North Indian states here on the issue of
implementing the recommendations of the 13th Finance
Commission.
The Centre's plan to create a national-level judicial
service, on the pattern of the All-India Civil Services, is
based on the recommendation of the department-related
Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public
Grievances, Law and Justice.
In its 15th report, tabled in May, 2006, the committee
had asked the Law Ministry to expedite steps to set up
all-India judicial services to appoint district-level judges.
As of now, while most government departments have
all-India service recruits, selected after the all-India
competitive examination conducted by the Union Public Service
Commission (UPSC) every year, judiciary is the only set-up
that doesn't have an all-India selection process.
Almost all states have their own state-level judicial
services, with successful candidates constituting the bulk of
the subordinate judiciary.
On the issue of poor response from various states on
establishing Gram Nyayalayas after the law in this regard came
into effect last year on Gandhi Jayanti, he said the Centre
was willing to release extra funds.
"States have said they do not have sufficient funds.
We are ready to raise the finances," he said, adding that the
Railways was "anxious" to work out a system under which mobile
courts in rural areas can be established on trains.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, while addressing
judges at a national conference here in August last year, had
said while there could be differing views on the adequacy of
the assistance being provided for setting up the rural courts,
"this should not hold us from speedily bringing the Act into
force".
With more than 3.11 crore cases pending across the
country, the rural courts will help deliver justice at the
door step of the common man.
On the other issues which came up during the meeting,
Moily said discussions on judicial impact assessment would
continue as more consultations were required on the sensitive
subject.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, July 18, 2010, 19:51