On the fourth day of the Winter Session 2023 of the Indian Parliament, discussions centered around judicial appointments, the All India Judicial Services (AIJS), and funding for the India International Arbitration Centre (IIAC). Here's a summary of the key points addressed on December 7.
Judicial Appointments: Responding to a query from Gujarat Rajya Sabha MP Shaktisinh Gohil, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice, Arjun Ram Meghwal, revealed that as of the beginning of 2023, 292 proposals for High Court judges were under consideration. In 2023, 121 new proposals were received, resulting in the appointment of 110 judges. However, 122 proposals are still pending, with 87 referred to the Collegium for advice. The remaining 35 proposals are currently being processed.
All India Judicial Services (AIJS): Maharashtra Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Shukla raised the issue of establishing an All India Judicial Service (AIJS). Meghwal explained that a comprehensive AIJS proposal formulated in 2012 faced opposition, and subsequent discussions in 2013, 2015, and 2022 failed to reach a consensus among state governments and High Courts. Due to this lack of agreement among major stakeholders, there is currently no consensus on the AIJS proposal.
Representation of Minorities and Women in Judiciary: Kerala MP Dr John Brittas sought information on the representation of women and minority communities among High Court and Supreme Court judges. Meghwal disclosed that out of 650 judges appointed in the past six years, 36 belonged to minority communities. In the Supreme Court, only 3 judges are women, and across the country's High Courts, only 111 out of 790 judges are women. Some High Courts, including those of Meghalaya, Uttarakhand, and Tripura, currently have no women judges.
Funding for India International Arbitration Centre (IIAC): Responding to a question from Maharashtra Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, Meghwal stated that ₹3.75 crore has been released to the IIAC since its inception in June 2022. This funding includes ₹2.25 crore in 2022-23 and ₹1.5 crore in 2023-24.
Regulation of Arbitrators' Fees: Madhya Pradesh Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha inquired about the government's plans to issue guidelines for regulating arbitrators' fees. The Law Ministry clarified that for arbitrations administered by an arbitral institution, fees follow the institution's rules. For ad hoc arbitrations, the Supreme Court has provided guidelines, and the Arbitration and Conciliation Act outlines the Model Fee in the Fourth Schedule, with Sections 38 and 31A addressing deposits for costs and costs related to arbitration proceedings, respectively.
TAGS: Winter Session 2023 Indian Parliament Judicial Appointments 2023 All India Judicial Services (AIJS) India International Arbitration Centre (IIAC) Funding High Court Judges Appointment Statistics AIJS Proposal Consensus Minority Representation in Judiciary Women Judges in Supreme Court IIAC Funding Since Inception Regulation of Arbitrators' Fees Law Ministry Guidelines on Arbitrators' Fees Judiciary Diversity Statistics 2023 Indian Parliament Winter Session Updates Legal News December 7 2023 Government Funding for IIAC Collegium Guidance on Judicial Appointments High Court Judges Diversity Data AIJS Proposal History Women Judges in High Courts Arbitration and Conciliation Act Guidelines.
