Rules prohibited public discussion on impeachment, SC observes

The Supreme Court on Monday said the Rajya Sabha rules prohibited MPs from making public statements on removal of a judge of the higher judiciary without any notice in Parliament.

A bench of Justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan, hearing a plea seeking to restrain MPs from making public statements on removal of a judge, said there was "no urgency" in the mater and posted the hearing for the third week of July.

Senior advocate Meenakshi Arora, appearing for NGO In Pursuit of Justice, sought laying down guidelines in this regard.

The court, however, said we do not have to frame guidelines. Attorney General K K Venugopal said that the plea has become infructuous.

On the counsel's plea it was important in the times to come, the bench said, why do you think such a time would come again.

Venugopal, for his part, said the process of removal proceedings was part of the privilege of the Parliament.

Meenakshi, however, cited the recommendations of the Law Commission in 2005 which stated that such public statements cannot be made outside.

The bench agreed to consider the matter saying the issue before it was whether there should be a discussion outside Parliament on removal of a judge without there being any such notice in the House.