<p>Moily’s comments came on a day when 75 non-Congress Rajya Sabha members submitted a petition to Chairman Hamid Ansari seeking Karnataka High Court Chief Justice P D Dinakaran’s removal for allegedly encroaching on government land, possessing wealth disproportionate to known sources of income and other “misdemeanours.”<br /><br />“This House resolves that an address be presented to the President for the removal of Justice Paul Daniel Dinakaran, also known as Justice Paul Daniel Dinakaran Premkumar, from the office of Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court for his acts of misbehaviour,” the notice said.<br /><br />Reminding the Upper House that the government will introduce legislation in Parliament soon to make judiciary more accountable, Moily said once the proposed Judges Standard and Accountability Bill is passed in this session of Parliament, “shady characters would not be able to become judges and measure would address questions of accountability and objectivity.”<br /><br />Once the corruption allegations against Chief Justice Dinakaran were exposed, the Centre is believed to have directed the Intelligence Bureau to follow more stringent procedures to report on individual judges’ background before their names are empanelled for elevation. <br /><br />Without referring to the controversy over the elevation of Dinakaran to the Supreme Court, Moily said the government may have to revisit the present procedure of appointments of judges. There were “infirmities” in the present system and the Centre was “engaged” in addressing them, he said. “It is only in India that judges appoint themselves.”<br /><br />Among the 12 charges mentioned in the notice against Dinakaran are “possessing wealth disproportionate to known sources of income, unlawfully securing five Housing Board plots, in favour of his wife and two daughters, enterting into benami transactions prohibited and punishable under the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act, 1988”, and “acquiring and possessing agricultural holdings beyond ceiling limit under the Tamil Nadu Land Reforms (Fixation of Ceiling on Land) Act, 1961.” The other charges include “illegal encroachment on government and public property to deprive Dalits and the poor of their right to livelihood.”<br /></p>
<p>Moily’s comments came on a day when 75 non-Congress Rajya Sabha members submitted a petition to Chairman Hamid Ansari seeking Karnataka High Court Chief Justice P D Dinakaran’s removal for allegedly encroaching on government land, possessing wealth disproportionate to known sources of income and other “misdemeanours.”<br /><br />“This House resolves that an address be presented to the President for the removal of Justice Paul Daniel Dinakaran, also known as Justice Paul Daniel Dinakaran Premkumar, from the office of Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court for his acts of misbehaviour,” the notice said.<br /><br />Reminding the Upper House that the government will introduce legislation in Parliament soon to make judiciary more accountable, Moily said once the proposed Judges Standard and Accountability Bill is passed in this session of Parliament, “shady characters would not be able to become judges and measure would address questions of accountability and objectivity.”<br /><br />Once the corruption allegations against Chief Justice Dinakaran were exposed, the Centre is believed to have directed the Intelligence Bureau to follow more stringent procedures to report on individual judges’ background before their names are empanelled for elevation. <br /><br />Without referring to the controversy over the elevation of Dinakaran to the Supreme Court, Moily said the government may have to revisit the present procedure of appointments of judges. There were “infirmities” in the present system and the Centre was “engaged” in addressing them, he said. “It is only in India that judges appoint themselves.”<br /><br />Among the 12 charges mentioned in the notice against Dinakaran are “possessing wealth disproportionate to known sources of income, unlawfully securing five Housing Board plots, in favour of his wife and two daughters, enterting into benami transactions prohibited and punishable under the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act, 1988”, and “acquiring and possessing agricultural holdings beyond ceiling limit under the Tamil Nadu Land Reforms (Fixation of Ceiling on Land) Act, 1961.” The other charges include “illegal encroachment on government and public property to deprive Dalits and the poor of their right to livelihood.”<br /></p>
