‘National judicial panel needed for fairness in judiciary’

We have to improve our methods of investigation and criminal justice system so that the culprits ultimately get due punishment,” said Supreme Court judge AK Patnaik while addressing lawyers at the 13th national conference of Akhil Bhartiya Adhivakta Parishad (ABAP) here on Wednesday.

Patnaik said the investigation machinery should be separated from the law enforcement machinery to ensure better criminal judicial system.

“When State judiciary is responsible for giving effect to the Central laws, the Centre should bear 50 per cent of the expenses that the State bears for judiciary,” he added.

The Supreme Court Judge said that advocates should not commercialise the legal profession. The Parliamentarians and the Ministers should implement the Constitutional provisions and try to achieve its objectives as enshrined in part IV of the Constitution, he advised.

Gracing the occasion, Supreme Court Bar Association president MN Krishnamani said that appointment of Judges should be made transparent in the higher judiciary and a National Judicial Commission should be established to ensure fairness in judiciary.

About 1,500 delegates, including Supreme Court and High Court Judges and noted advocates from sub-division court to the apex court across the country participated in the three-day-long conference. The topic of the conference was Vitalising Constitutional and Democratic Institution