Advocate's remark on CJI amounts to atrocity: Prof Ravivarma Kumar

In an interview to a TV channel, Bhushan had reportedly passed a comment which suggested that Justice K G Balakrishnan insisted on Justice Dinakaran’s elevation to the Supreme Court, only because he was also a Dalit.

Kumar said, Shanti Bhushan had made the remark with an intention to insult the Chief Justice of India, which amounts to atrocity as per Section 3 of the PoA Act.
“Advocates should bow their head in shame for such a remark by a senior counsel who was once Law minister of the country”, he said.

Judges’ appointment

Meanwhile, senior advocate Prof Ravivarma Kumar said that a national judicial commission should be set up for appointment of judges at higher courts.
The commission should be headed by the vice-president and comprise representatives of the judiciary, the government, Opposition party, advocates and also litigants, he suggested.

He was speaking at a workshop to review the implementation of Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989, organised by National Coalition for Strengthening PoA Act.

In the judiciary judges held supreme power, but they had been accountable to none, he said. Referring to the recent developments relating to allegations against Karnataka Chief Justice P D Dinakaran, he said, “Whatever is being discussed about the judiciary in public is just a tip of the iceberg.”

‘Tip of iceberg’

He said an effective judicial commission could bring accountability in the system. As a result, the Act meant for the abolition of untouchability or prevention of atrocities on Dalits could be implemented properly.

The judicial commission should consist representatives of women and Dalits as well. This would definitely improve the representation of women and Dalits in the judiciary.
Basavaraj Kautal, State convener of the National Coalition, said that even 20 years after the Act was passed a large section of the public were still unaware of its provisions.
As per the figures given by the State around 1,200 cases were being registered in a year. But in reality thousands of cases remain unregistered. Many cases were being settled outside the police station, he said.

Kautal said the national commission recently carried out a study in 150 villages of the State regarding the awareness of the PoA Act.

People in 140 villages were ignorant of the rules. In many cases lower rank officers in the Police Department were unaware of the provisions of the law, he said.

DH News Service