Formation of Indian Judicial Service Imperative, says Lok Satta

Lok Satta Party national President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan said today that constitution of an Indian Judicial Service (IJS) is imperative if the judiciary were to attract the best and the brightest and offer services of highest standards.

In a media statement, Dr. JP pointed out that Constitution makers in their wisdom had provided for the formation of IJS on the lines of all-India services like the IAS and the IPS. The Supreme Court too on many occasions has underlined that IJS formation has been long overdue.

Dr. JP recalled that at the initiative of the Lok Satta, three eminent jurists of impeccable integrity and credibility – Justice M. N. Venkatachalaiah, Justice J. S. Varma and Justice V. R. Krishna Iyer – had studied the subject in depth and unanimously recommended constitution of a National Judicial Commission and an Indian Judicial Service.

There is broad consensus among all mainstream political parties on the need for IJS, Dr. JP said and added that the new service would go a long way in promoting national integration. Once IJS is constituted, it will provide a pool of talent for recruitment to higher judiciary in course of time.

Dr. JP trashed apprehensions among certain quarters that the IJS will be ineffective since its members, recruited on an all-India basis, will not have knowledge of the local language, history and customs. If IAS and IPS officials recruited on an all-India basis interact with people on a daily basis and render high quality services, there is no reason to doubt that judicial officers confined mostly to their chambers cannot do justice to their job. Learning of local language can form part of training for judicial officers just as it is for IAS and IPS officials.

Dr. JP appealed to all political parties and young law graduates to come together and ensure that IJS becomes a reality without further delay.