CHENNAI: Diversity in judicial appointments, district judges in the Supreme Court, raising the retirement age of high court judges from 62 to 65 years and the constitutional status of the collegiate bench for the election and transfer of judges – these are the salient features of the Private Member’s Bill tabled by Congressman P Wilson of the Democratic Party seeking necessary changes in the Constitution. It seeks representation of candidates from castes/scheduled tribes and OBCs in proportion to their population.Wilson proposed measures to increase transparency in appointments to the senior judiciary. The bill calls for the establishment of permanent district courts of the Supreme Court in Chennai, New Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata.Other major changes sought by the member include an amendment to Article 15 (Prohibition of Discrimination) of the Constitution to allow the state government to make special provisions for socially and educationally backward classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes based on the proportion of the population as determined by the caste census.On the issue of judicial appointments, the member proposed amendments to Articles 124, 217 and 224 to incorporate new provisions to ensure representation of castes, Scheduled Tribes, OBCs, religious minorities and women in judicial appointments in proportion to their population and requested the Union government to prepare a Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) in consultation with the Chief Justice of India (CJI) outlining the appointment process.“State governments have to be consulted while appointing judges of high courts and Supreme Court. The Center has to act on the recommendations of the collegium within 60 days and, if reiterated, within 30 days,” Wilson said.In addition to this, the bill also proposes to increase the retirement age of High Court judges from 62 to 65 years. Another major element of the bill is a proposal to amend census powers under Article 7 of the Constitution.The bill seeks to amend the legislative powers related to the census by removing the census from the federal list and adding it to the concurrent list of the constitution, allowing federal and state governments to conduct census activities.
