POWER OF COURTESY

(By T.P. Kelu Nambiar, Senior Advocate)

His appointment as Judge, High Court, was announced. He was my erstwhile student. He came to me, ecstatically though, the day before his swearing-in as Judge; and sought my blessings. I gave them aplenty. He then made another request. He wanted me to give him some advice regarding right behaviour and faultless functioning as a Judge. I was glad, he asked my views. I said:

"Mind you, you have not become a Judge by pressing a button on the voting machine.

Judicial office is essentially a public trust.

Judges are the most privileged inhabitants of the High Court.

Do not be a victim of the privileged position you enjoy.

Do not be affected with the syndrome of 'I' and the 'Self.

Bear a dignified manner; but not insulting posture. The Bar loves to see you smile.

Do not be intoxicated with your own delusions.

Try not for judicial triumphalism.

See that your court does not operate in confrontation, but co-ordination.

Do not laugh at a lawyer to keep yourself in good humour.

Do not shoot from the lip, without pausing and considering.

Lawyers may not always enjoy the sound of Judges' music.

Remember, you cannot reform anyone through abuse.

Do not make unbalanced comments from the Bench.

Do not make it a habit to question all the answers of the lawyers. Less talk, more disposals.

Let it not be said of you that you show not just intolerance, but crude authoritarianism.

Remember, advocacy is not a shoot-out between the Bench and the Bar.

Do not enlarge the domain of the judiciary needlessly.

Remember, not even two Hon'ble Judges may surpass a certain great lawyer.

Create no occasion to say that you are less than unbiased towards the Bar.

Do not inflict a wound on the Bar that would refuse to heal.

See that your court is not a sort of Siachen, the highest battle-field (in the world).

Do not get hold of the wrong end of the stick while deciding an issue.

Write judgments for times to come.

Do not give occasion for anybody to say that you could have done well with a little more civility.

Remember, a Judge is not a disciplinary authority over lawyers.

Exercise the power of courtesy and dignity, not position and authority.

Mind your language. Do not talk 'Greengrocer's English'.

Lastly, do not forget that young lawyers are the profession's fuel of the future.

May God bless you."

"Thank you, Sir," he said; and departed.

He served; and left.

Ask me not whether he had conformed to my advice; or tried to teach the teacher; or whether it was possible for him to beat the drums for a successful good functioning.

R.I. P.

(By T.P. Kelu Nambiar, Senior Advocate)

This is the fifth in the series of occasional articles by me.

Let me not start with a bang or whimper, but with silence.

God gave him the dying grace. But, we, blessed with living grace, show disrespect to his soul, looking down from a vague height. The question, or conjecture, is, whether it is right. The answer, or deduction, is, we should not hurt his soul.

I am on the practice of mass obituary reference in Court, accorded to lawyers, on hearing the rumour of mortality; delayed talk about the departed dead. I am not raising an issue from nowhere. Now-a-days court reference to a deceased lawyer is delayed for weeks together, until death slays another lawyer. Court reference is then held for the two together. There are instances in which obituary reference is held for three lawyers at one and the same time, singing treble. And this is done as an empty formality (of a ritual). You should have respect of place, person and time, as Shakespeare said.

If you think we are doing the right thing, perish the thought. I should think, it borders on absurdity. It is objectionable from Alpha to Omega.

Respect the dead to uttermost extent, is what we have been taught. Do not give a 'Golden Dustbin Award' to a deceased lawyer. Do not disturb him in the peaceful bosom of his grave. "O grave, keep shut lest I be ashamed", sung John Mansfield.

It is hardly a secret that when a Judge dies, obituary reference is promptly held as if death reveals the eminent and 'judicial' hearts are hurt with a deep dynastic wound; forgetting what Charles Caleb Colton said: "Death and the cross are the two great levellers; kings and their subjects, masters and slaves, find a common level in two places - at the foot of the cross, and in the silence of the grave". The sentinel of the grave only counts, not weighs.

I am showing a healthy anger. If you do not feel diminished with the death of a lawyer, at least avoid insulting his soul; and allow his soul requiescat in pace (R.I.P.).

My last wish: Do not wake me up in my grave long after my interment only to convey your false regrets and rehearsed recollections. Leave me alone in my Hades, forgiving me, as "Only the dead can be forgiven": (W.B. Yeats, in "A Dialogue of Self and Soul").

LABOUR LAW REFORMS: EARLIER THE BETTER

Even States can take initiative

(By Advocate H.L Kumar, Editor: Labour Law Reporter)

'Time and tide wait for none' is an old saying. Now, if one does not change and does not keep pace with the science and technology, one is bound to be overtaken by others, perhaps left behind for always. The growth that is taking place is no longer arithmetical but it has become geometrical and, therefore, exponential. In this context, it has become absolutely necessary to shed and eschew the shibboleth labour laws, which were enacted in the backdrop of industrial revolution and socialistic mindset. Those laws have outlived their utility as they are proving to be abbatross in the neck in the era of galloping technological revolution.

The world is increasingly getting borderless              WAKE UP CALL FOR CENTRE AND STATES

and has shrunk into a global village with                   Indian Companies should constantly innovate and bring

enough methods of connecting each other               cost -effective products.

The development in I.T. hasrevolutionised                Labour reforms, if delayed, willlead to disastrous

the speed and means by which both money             consequences and industries, once shifted to more

and information can flow round the planet.               favorable locations, will find it difficult to come back and

Today, the world is literally at finger tips of the         our advantages will dissipate since others who are

hand that holds the laptop. In our lifetime, we           waiting in the wings will lap it up.

have seen a transformation of communication,         Remove the protective fetters of shibboleth anti,

which has changed our lifestyles forever. The           employment labour laws hampering

environmentis ready to swallow us up into a             the growth and see the wonders!

knowledge and technology podium.

The power of networks in mailing information available across the globe, across the industry, across the companies, across the employees and across the customers has totally changed the ground realities. Consequently, competition has become very aggressive to such an extent that now no Company can sell its outdated products in new markets. People everywhere know about the existence of latest products through T.V. and the various media. Every day we are discovering new themes of information sharing and people connectivity. Yesterday you could e-mail, then you could chat, now you can see, next we could be just shopped across in a jiffy like the star worlds? Who knows next? Thus, in order to survive, we have to be operational for this change. Thus networking of people, races, and communities and enthralling!

In order to survive in the competitive environment of today, the Indian companies should constantly innovate and bring out products and services in a cost effective manner to eater to the needs of to-day's demanding customers. The efforts thereof should be obviously supported by reforms, both economic and others. The most important, in this direction, is the labour reforms.

India has, no doubt, potentials and blessed with skilled workforce and abundant of raw material to be a leader of the world but labour laws stand in the way to achieve the desired results much less the targeted growth rate. To make India a major industrial and manufacturing power in the globalised world, the Government of India will have to urgently make the labour laws simple and unvexatious otherwise the immense talent as, available in plenty at much cheaper price, will be wasted. Take it for example that technocrat-support company in Bangalore recently advertised for 800 jobs and it has received 87,000 applications.

In the recent past, there have been many approaches for effecting labour reforms like Ramanujum Committee report and recommendations of the Group of Ministers Report of the 2^nd National Commission on Labour. Even though it is understood that these issues are being examined and processed at various levels, the out-come thereof is still awaited.

Some of the States, have already brought about certain reforms and simplification in labour laws without compromising with basic objective of the statutes and without diluting the implementation mechanism. For instance, Andhra Pradesh has initiated several steps in this direction. If other States don't reform their labour laws, will it not compel the industrialists to shift their activities from other States to Andhra Pradesh. Any central law, in this regard, would always be desirable. The jute industry is leaving Kolkata and shifting to Andhra Pradesh because there is not only cheaper labour, better work culture and employment but friendly labour laws also.

India has many locational and other advantages - including a skilled, English-speaking work force. These advantages are not being tapped up simply because of labour laws which are over protective even for non performers.

It must be remembered that when a company markets its products or services to the world, it is free also to locate its factory in the most favourable location. India, because of its anti-employment labour laws, is a most unfavourable location. It may be noted that now Ajanta Clocks has shifted its manufacturing base to China; obviously because it will be cheaper and easier to produce there with a conductive work culture and open hire and fire policies. For instance, Taiwan's Life on Tech Technology Corporation, manufacturing and exporting flat-screen and printers, has merely 3,000 employees in Taiwan as compared to 3,00,000 at its 18 factories in China because of lower labour cost and simpler labour laws.

The talk of the Union and Justice Law, Company Affairs and Commerce Minister Shri Arun Jaitley, on "India's growth challenges and opportunities in Global Trade at Hyderabad in August 2003" is summarised by Mr. B.C. Prabhakar, Working President of Karnataka Employers' Association, as under:

• India can emerge as knowledge supplier to world with vast reservoir of Talent.

• A revolution in service sector is sweeping across the world and we can offer sharpest minds at cheapest price.

• The services sector, which now forms the largest component of economy accounting for 52% of GDP, was the "greatest source of strength" for the country.

• Reforms in labour laws is the immediate need to make the country's manufacturing sector competitive in global markets. Those who are opposing labour reforms are actually anti labour.

• Increase in productivity will make the Indian Industry more competitive and thereby create more employment.

If the labour reforms are attended to, promptly, there is no earthy reason why India should not emerge as the manufacturing destination of choice for the entire world. The only requirement now is that we wake up and see both the problems and the prospects squarely in the eye. Then we must act.

The English language is a gift of Macaulay to this country and it is because of this language that the computer geniuses of this country have obtained very high edge on others but so long as the work culture and labour laws are not changed, all our advantages will dissipate and others who are waiting in the wings will lap it up. In fact, work culture and labour laws are very closely inter twined. Remove the protective fetters of labour laws and see the wonders. It is not protection but incentive that will immensely generate the work culture. The sooner it is realised, the better otherwise the industries, once shifted, would find it difficult to come back.

The problem in India is that there is an acute dearth of forward looking political leaders with requisite will power. They believe more in rhetoric than in reality imitating the ostrich-like policy. Otherwise, there could hardly be any plausible reason for India still positioned at the lowest ladder of development in the comity of nations despite being the biggest supplier of information technologists.

The Controversial Summons of The Legislative Committee and the Constitutional Status of the Public Service Commission

(By O.V. Radhakrishnan, Advocate, Ernakulam)

The controversy which rages round the question regarding the constitutional status of the Public Service Commission and the powers and privileges of the Legislative Assembly is an imminent legal battle according to the reports appeared in Mathrubhumi, Kerala Kaumudi and Malayala Manorama and other leading Newspapers. According to the news paper reports, the Backward Class Welfare Committee constituted by the Kerala Legislative Assembly have issued summons to the Secretary of the Kerala Public Service Commission to appear and explain the injury being caused to the backward class of citizens and Dalits in the matter of appointments through the PSC on account of the inadequacy felt in the relevant Service Rules. The Secretary of the PSC is reported have informed his inability to appear as he has been instructed not to appear before the Committee in obedience to the summons, considering the high constitutional status of the Commission. The stand taken in the matter has been deprecated by the Committee; which referred the question lo the Speaker. The issue has now gained public importance and necessitates to cogitate about the contentious stand taken by the Kerala Public Service Commission.

The Public Service Commission is an independent expert body constituted for the purpose of conducting examinations for recruitment to public service and also for consultation of matters falling under Art.320(3) of the Constitution. Art.320(4) specifically excludes consultation as respect the manner in which any provision referred to in CI.s(4) of Art.16 and as respect the manner in which effect may be given to the provisions of Art.335. The function of the Commission is advisory and consultative. Its advice is not binding on the Government except where there are Rules made under Art.309 whereunder the advice is binding on the Government. The members of the Public Service Commission have no immunity other than security of tenure. The members including the Chairman of the Public Service Commission have no constitutional privileges either.

The Legislative Assembly on the other hand is possessed with privileges under Art. 194 and is conferred with immunity under Art.212 of the Constitution of India. The question whether the privilege conferred on the House by the second part of Art. 194(3) would take precedence over the fundamental rights guaranteed under Part III of the Constitution is a matter to be resolved by a harmonious construction. In the above sitting, the Public Service Commission cannot take the stand that its Secretary shall not be summoned by a Legislative Committee for any purpose and refusal to obey the summons may entail breach of privilege.

The Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Kerala Legislative Assembly are made by the Assembly in pursuance of the provisions contained in Art. 208(1) of the Constitution of India. R.180 of the Rules of Procedure provides that the members of a Legislature Committee shall be appointed or elected by the Assembly or nominated by the Speaker as the case may be. R.195 provides that the Committee shall have power to send for persons, papers and records; Provided that if any question arises whether the evidence of a person or the production of a document is relevant for the purposes of the Committee, the question shall be referred to the Speaker, whose decision shall be final: Provided further that Government may decline to produce a document on the ground that its disclosure would be prejudicial to the safety or interest of the State. The word 'Government' would embrace the Public Service Commission and the Public Service Commission can decline to produce a document only on the ground that its disclosure would be prejudicial to the safety or interest of the State.

The Secretary to the Commission is appointed by the Commission with the previous approval of the Governor. R.11(1) of the Kerala Public Service Commission (Composition and Conditions of Service of Members and Staff) Regulations, 1957 provides that the Service Regulations shall apply to the Secretary, who shall for that purpose be deemed to be an officer of the State. The refusal by the Secretary of the Commission to appear before the Legislature Committee cannot be justified under the penumbra of any of the Fundamental rights guaranteed in Part III of the Constitution of India. The Secretary of the PSC alone can explain to the Committee the present procedure being followed by the Commission in working out the reservation provided under Rr.14 to 17 of the General Rules. Summoning the Secretary for that purpose by the Committee cannot be faulted or branded as a false step and the Legislature Committee is legally entitled to prise the information out of the Public Service Commission for the purpose of making suitable amendments to the rules of reservation in favour of backward class of citizens and Dalits to ensure their due representation in public services.

Judicial Inquiry-- An Inquest

(By O.V. Radhakrishnan)

Introduction

‘Judicial Inquiry’ is not synonymous with ‘Commission of Inquiry’ though in popular parlance Commission of Inquiry is often called Judicial Inquiry. Commission of Inquiry is a fact finding body meant only to instruct the mind of the Government without producing any document of a Judicial nature. The Commission is not in any sense a Court. Commission of Inquiry is an extra-judicial administrative technique. Sir William Wade defined statutory inquiries as "a hybrid legal-and-administrative process"1. It does not wear judicial vestments nor does it wield Jurisdiction and powers of Courts. The Commission of Inquiry does not perform any judicial or quasi-judicial functions. The Commission of Inquiry is not called upon to decide any ‘lis’ and its decision does not bind anybody. It is bereft of finality and authoritativeness. In Jellicoe v. Basel Den (1902 (22) NZLR 343 at 361), Williams J. succinctly explained about the utility value of the report of the Commission of Inquiry as "Their report by itself has no more legal effect and carried with it no more legal consequences than an article in a newspaper". In Brajnandam Singh v. Jyoti Narain((1955) 2 SCR 955 at 975) and in Ramakrishna Dalmia v. Justice Tendolkar (AIR 1958 SC 538), the Supreme Court has held that "the Commission is merely to investigate and record its findings and recommendations without any power to enforce them, the inquiry or report cannot be looked upon as a judicial inquiry in the sense of its being an exercise of judicial function properly so called." "The Commission Inquiry has no judicial powers and its report will purely be recommendatory and not effective pro-prio vigore......" An inquiry made by a Commission of Inquiry is not designed and cannot determine 'guilt or innocence of any persons'. The Courts, civil or criminal, are not bound by the report or findings of the Commission of Inquiry as they have to arrive at their own decision in accordance with law. It follows that 'Judicial Inquiry' is a complete misnomer for the 'Commission of Inquiry'.

Historical setting

The Commission of Inquiry has become an important facet of the administration of Government in most of the countries. A historical examination would show that the Commissions of Inquiry was first conceived in England as an administrative apparatus of Government. The exact origin of the practice of setting up Commission is obscure. Probably, the first Royal Commission in England was the Inquiry leading to the Domesday Book which was compiled on account of the Grant Inquest of 1086 when Royal Commissioners were sent out by William-I into every country to ascertain the ownership of each estate in land and its value for taxation. The above practice of utilising Royal Commissions continued during the periods of Tudor and Stuart which met with a depression during the 18^lh century but became more prevalent in the 19^th century. Royal Commissions are appointed by the Crown in exercise of its prerogative power. The statutory Commissions are appointed under the Commissions of Inquiry Act. The Commissions of Inquiry are not part of the State services nor a part of Court or Tribunal. The Commission of Inquiry became an inevitable institution in countries like Australia, Canada, New Zealand, England and India. In our country, the Public Servants (Inquiries) Act, 1850 was enacted for regulating inquiries into the behaviour of public servants. The above Act was in force in all the Provinces of India except the Scheduled Districts by the Laws Local Extent Act, 1874. The above Act merely provided for an inquiry into the conduct of Government servants who were removable only with the sanction of the Government. In order to meet the clamorous demand for public inquiries by independent and impartial authorities against history-sheeter politicians and for exposure of lapses on the part of the Ministers and in respect of matters of definite public importance, the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952 was enacted by our Parliament to provide for the appointment of Commission of Inquiry and for vesting such Commissions with certainpowers. To borrow the words of an eminent writer, V.R. Lakshmi Narayanan2. "The Indian Act drew the inspiration from the English Tribunals of Enquiries (Evidence) Act, 1921 but in its final design lapsed into the proverbial Indian legalese and thereby hangs many a flaw."

An overview of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952

The appointment of a Commission of Inquiry is a matter of discretion of the appropriate Government but the power of the appropriate Government is controlled by the provision in Section 3( 1) of the Commissions of Inquiry Act. A Commission of Inquiry may be appointed for the purpose of making an inquiry into 'any definite matter of public importance' and performing such functions within a specified period. However, if a resolution in that behalf is passed by each house of Parliament or State Legislature, as the case may be, there is a peremptory command that the appropriate Government shall appoint the Commission for the purpose. The Commissions so appointed shall make the inquiry and perform the functions accordingly and shall make a report. The appropriate Government shall cause to be laid before each House of Parliament or as the case may be, the Legislature of the State, the Report of the Commission together with a memorandum of the action taken thereon within a period of six months of the submission of the Report by the Commission to the appropriate Government. The expression 'any definite matter of public importance' lacks descriptive precision and the Courts have not attempted to give a comprehensive or exhaustive definition to it, the existence of which is the very basis for setting the process under the Act into motion. Whether a matter is of public importance or not has to be decided essentially from its intrinsic nature. If a matter is intrinsically of public importance, it does not cease to be so, because the public did not agitate over it.

Sir, Cyril Salmon, Lord Justice of Appeal, in a lecture on Tribunals of Inquiry explained the reason and relevance of a Commission of Inquiry.-

"In all countries, certainly in those which enjoy freedom of speech and a free Press moments occur when allegations and rumours circulate causing a nation-wide crises of confidence in the integrity of public life or about other matters of vital public importance. No doubt this rarely happens, but when it does it is essential that public confidence can be effectively restored, for without it no democracy can long survive. This confidence can be effectively resorted only by thoroughly investigating and probing the rumours and allegations so as to search out and establish the truth. The truth may show that the evil exists, thus enabling it to be routed out, or that there is no foundation in the rumours and allegations by which the public has been disturbed. In either case, confidence is resorted."

Powers of Commission are provided in Section 4 of the Act, 1952 and are closely akin to the powers of the statutory Tribunals. The Commission can exercise only those powers which are specifically conferred on it. Section 5 deals with additional powers of Commission. Section 5 empowers the appropriate Government to make the provisions of Sub-section (2) or Sub-section (3) or Sub-section (4) or Sub-section (5) applicable to a Commission by issuance of Notification in the Official Gazette. Sub Section (2), confers power on the commission to require any person, subject to any privilege which may be claimed by that person under any law for the time being in force, to furnish information on such points or matters which may be useful for or relevant to the subject matter of the inquiry. Sub-section (3) clothes the Commission or any officer not below the rank of a Gazetted Officer specially authorised by the Commission to enter any building or place where the Commission has reason to believe that any books of account or other document relating to the subject-matter of the inquiry may be found and to seize any such books of accounts or documents or take extract or copies therefrom, subject to the provisions of Section 102 and 103 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Sub-section (4) provides that the Commission shall be deemed to a Civil Court and when any offence as is described in Sections 175,178,179,180 or Section 228 of the Indian Penal Code is committed in the view or presence of the Commission, may forward the case to a Magistrate having jurisdiction to try the same. Sub-section (5) declares that any proceeding before the Commission shall be deemed to be a judicial proceeding within the meaning of Section 193 and 228 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860). Under Section 5 A, the Commission is authorised to utilise the service of certain officers and investigation agencies for conducting investigation pertaining to inquiry with the concurrence of the Central Government or the State Government as the case may be. Section 5B of the Act enables the Commission to appoint persons having special knowledge of any matter connected with the inquiry as assessors to assist and advise the commission in the inquiry. Section 6 of the Act provides that no statement made by a person in the course of giving evidence before the Commission shall subject him to or be used against him, in any civil or criminal proceeding except prosecution for giving false evidence by such statement, provided that the statement (a) is made in reply to a question which he is required by the question to answer or (b) is relevant to the subject-matter of inquiry. Section 6 prohibits the use of previous statements at the trial either for the purpose of cross-examination to contradict the witness or to impeach his credit. Section 6A expressly protects persons against disclosure of any secret process of manufacture of any goods. The Commission shall cease to exist on declaration by the appropriate Government by Notification in the Official Gazette if it is of opinion that continued existence of the Commission is unnecessary and the Commission appointed in pursuance of resolution passed by the House of Parliament or by the State Legislature if a resolution for the discontinuance of the Commission is passed by the House of Parliament or by the Legislature of the State as the case may be as provided under Section 7. Section 8 authorises the Commission to regulate its own procedure. After about two decades of the enactment of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952, the legislature realised the necessity of observing the principles of natural justice during the course of inquiry into the conduct of any person or whose reputation is likely to be prejudicially affected by bringing out Act, 79 of 1971. Section 8 A to 8C were inserted and Section 8 B and C were incorporated for the observance of the principles of natural justice. Section 8B of the Act mandates that the Commission if at any stage of the inquiry considers it necessary to inquire into the conduct of any person or is of opinion that the reputation of any person is likely to be prejudicially affected by the inquiry shall give to that person a reasonable opportunity of being heard in the inquiry and to produce evidence in his defence. The above provision has been excluded in a case where the credit of a witness is being impeached. Section 8C deals with right of cross-examination and representation by legal practitioner. Section 8C recognises the right upon a person whose conduct is under inquiry or who is likely to be prejudicially affected by the inquiry of cross-examination of witnesses other than a witness produced by him. It further confers a right to be represented by a legal practitioner or by any other person with the permission of the Commission before it.

On a survey of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952 what emerges is that the inquiry contemplated by it is more or less in the nature of a preliminary enquiry that is followed by a full-dressed departmental inquiry. The Courts are not bound by the report of the inquiry commission and the Government is also not bound to accept the recommendations or act upon its findings. In the decision in P.V. Jaganatha Rao v. State of Orissa (AIR 1969 SC 215)a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court upheld the validity of the Notification appointing the Commission as it was to take appropriate legislative or administrative measures to maintain the purity and integrity of political administration in the State. In Fazalur Rahman and Others v. StateofUPandOthers ((1999) 7 SCC 683)the Apex Court was considering the complaint of inaction on the part of the Government in taking follow up action on the Justice C.D. Parekh Commission report relating to the riots which took place in Meerut in September, 1982, The report was submitted to the Government in 1988 and the State Cabinet took a decision in 1998 deciding not to take any further action on the basis of the report. In the above fact situation the Supreme Court expressed its anguish at the manner in which reports of the Commissions of Inquiry are being treated by the States and the Supreme Court observed that "on account of such inaction for a long period of time, the very purpose of the constitution of a Commission of Inquiry under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952 gets frustrated and the argument that such commission are appointed under the Act only as an eye­wash acquires credibility."

A Commission of Inquiry may be appointed to assuage the agitated public or due to public outcry. In fact, political leaders particularly opposition leaders call for appointment of Commission of Inquiry as a challenge to the Government to make Inquiry relating to any issue irrespective of whether it is a matter of public importance or not. It has become a sly device to misdirect, the public attention. The warp and woof of our experience is that, many a Commission of Inquiry have proved to be a sheer wastage of public money without any result having been achieved. Some of the reports of the Commission have done irreparable damage to the reputation and political career of persons notwithstanding that their misdemeanor highlighted by the Commission was found to be totally unfounded. The reports of the Inquiry mostly are remaining in limbo after expending a huge amount from the public exchequer.

Desirability of appointing sitting judges as Commission of Inquiry

Now-a-days, there has been considerable erosion in the intrinsic sense of fairness and justice. To quote Krishna Iyer J., "It sometimes happens that judges are used by politicians inpower to pull their chest nuts out of the fire by appointing Commissions with men in robes to preside. This is regarded by some a dubious step because the credibility of such report is in controversy, political artillery from the affected side being invariably turned on the judge. Marginally, there is also a peril that the latent politics of the judge may show up when he is called upon to inquire into a quasi-political public issue". Apprehensions are likely in the minds of the public that when a judge on the verge of his retirement is appointed as a Commission of Inquiry to inquire into the conduct of a Minister or a high political figure may appease the demands of the Government especially when the judge is appointed successively as Commission of Inquiry by a succeeding Government. In Alok Kumar Roy v. Dr. S.N. Sarma (AIR 1968 SC 453) the Supreme Court held that "A judge of the High Court when he is appointed to head a Commission of this kind does not demit his office as a judge and when the Commission is not actually sitting he is entitled to sit as a Judge of the High Court." In Dr. Subramanya Swami v. Ramakrishna Hegde ((2000) 10 SCC 331) the Supreme Court has noted the opinion of the Attorney General that when a Supreme Court Judge is appointed as a Commissioner in a Commission of Inquiry, he does not carry with him all the powers and jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and the functions discharged by him are statutory functions independent of the jurisdiction vested in the Supreme Court. In T. Fenn Walter v. Union of India ((2002) 6 SCC 184) it has been held by the Supreme Court that "Therefore, it cannot be said that a sitting judge of High Court shall neither be appointed to any other post nor shall be assigned any other judicial or quasi-judicial work. But, invariably, in all cases, the Chief Justice of the High Court concerned would be consulted in case the appointment is sought of a sitting judge. Normally, a judge who is to retire from service shortly may be desirous of accepting any other assignment either as a Chairman, Vice-chairman or Member of any Commission or Member of a Tribunal and the decision of that authority is subjected to judicial review of the High Court, it may not be an ideal situation". It has been further held therein that the appointment of judges to head or chair a Commission of inquiry would create unnecessary burden on the judges and it would affect the administration of justice. It has been observed by the Supreme Court that quite often the reports of the Commissioner are ignored and no follow up actions are being taken by the Government. In some matters, when political issues are involved, even impartiality and objectivity of the Court may sometimes be questioned due to some extraneous and oblique motives. The Supreme Court accordingly exhorted that "It is desirable that the judges are not subjected to unwanted criticism on account of appointment as inquiry commission".

Legality of appointing a sitting Judge of the Supreme Court or a sitting Judge of the High Court as a Commission of Inquiry under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952

A sitting Judge of the Supreme Court and the sitting Judge of a High Court belongs to the third organ of the State and is independent of the other two organs, the Executive and the Legislature((1995) 6 SCC 765). Article 131 of the Constitution deals with original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and Article 131A governs exclusive jurisdiction of the Supreme Court in regard to questions as to constitutional validity of Central Laws. Article 132 provides the appellate jurisdiction of Supreme Court in appeals from High Courts in certain cases while Article 133 deals with appellate jurisdiction of Supreme Court in appeals from High Courts in regard to civil matters. Article 134 lays down the appellate jurisdiction of Supreme Court in regard to criminal matters. Article 138 provides for enlargement of the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. Article 138(1) provides that the Supreme Court shall have such further jurisdiction and powers with respect to any of the matters in the Union List as Parliament may by law confer. Article 138(2) provides that Supreme Court shall have such further jurisdiction and power with respect to any matter as the Government of India and the Government of any State may by special agreement confer, if Parliament by law provides for the exercise of such jurisdiction and powers by the Supreme Court. In any event, the Supreme Court shall have further jurisdiction and powers with respect to any of the matters in the Union List or any matter relating to special agreement referred to in Article 138(2) only if Parliament by law provides for the exercise of such jurisdiction and powers by it. The jurisdiction and powers of the High Courts are governed by Articles 225, 226, 227 and 228. Articles 224 to 228 and Articles 232 to 235 speak of the High Court as a collective body. Article 225 of the Constitution of India preserves the jurisdiction of existing High Courts subject to the provisions of the Constitution and of any law made by the appropriate Legislature. Article 225 corresponds to Section 223 of the Government of India Act, 1935 and the power that is conferred on the High Court under Section 108 of Government of India Act, 1915 is kept intact and the High Courts enjoy the jurisdiction and power as they exercised under Section 108 of the Government of India Act, 1915. Under Section 108 (2) of the Government of India Act, 1915 it is for the Chief Justice to arrange for the sittings of the Court and it is for the Chief Justice to allot work to the Judges. The inherent power conceded to the Chief Justice in the matter of constitution of Benches does not extend to allocation of non-judicial functions exercisable under the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952. The Chief Justice is not empowered to allot duties of non-judicial character to a sitting judge. Therefore, in the absence of a law made by the Parliament or by the appropriate Legislature, non-judicial functions cannot be assigned to a sitting judge like that of the functions of a Commission of Inquiry. Necessarily, a report made by a sitting judge as the Commission of Inquiry appointed by the Government in the purported exercise of the powers under Section 3(1) of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952 without investiture of jurisdiction or legal authority is liable to be declared as void.

The Governments have been appointing sitting Judges as Commission of Inquiry on the basis of the assumed power under Section 3(1) of the Act, 1952 ignoring the provisions that every Judge of the Supreme Court and every Judge of a High Court shall be appointed by the President. The transfer of a Judge from one High Court to another High Court is also to be made by the President. There is no enabling provision for assignment of non-judicial work to a sitting Judge by the Government under the Constitution. Therefore, a pertinent question would arise as to whether the Central Government or for that matter a State Government is competent to appoint a sitting Judge of the Supreme Court or that of a High Court as Commission of Inquiry for the purpose of making an inquiry under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952. Section 3(1) of the Act, 1952 does not empower the appropriate Government to appoint a sitting Judge of the Supreme Court or a High Court as a Commission of Inquiry. In fact, the Central Government or a State Government is not competent to appoint a sitting Judge of the Supreme Court or the High Court, as the case may be, as a Commission of Inquiry under the Act, 1952 and that too without the concurrence of the President. The provisions of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952 do not confer jurisdiction or power on a sitting Judge of a Supreme Court or that of a High Court to exercise the functions of a Commission of Inquiry. Therefore, in the absence of any law made by Parliament conferring further jurisdiction and powers exercisable under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952 on a sitting Judge, the appointment of a sitting Judge as a Commissioner of Inquiry under the Act is without jurisdiction and authority of law. It follows, therefore, that a sitting Judge of a Supreme Court or a sitting Judge of a High Court shall have no jurisdiction or power to function as the Commission of Inquiry under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952 notwithstanding the appointment made by the appropriate Government in the purported exercise of power under Section 3(1) of the Act, 1952. The above seminal issue of law remains unaddressed and undecided.

Conclusion

The Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952 underwent surgical operations through amendments in order to effectuate the working of the Commission. However, the Commissions of Inquiry Act in its present form also has its operational limitations. So long as the report of the Commission of Inquiry has no binding force and are not having penal provision, the whole proceedings under the Commissions of Inquiry Act would be an exercise in futility. The Government is not bound by the report and it can ignore it. The Courts are not bound by the report and it has no persuasive value even. The statements recorded by the Commission cannot be used either for corroboration or contradiction in a later judicial proceeding. In the words of Krishna Iyer J., "the Commissions have become an expensive luxury ending in futility". The report of the inquiry Commission is only in the nature of fact finding and in case the Government accepts the report, the follow up action is of ordering a Police Investigation or Vigilance Enquiry by the Police. Even the Police or Investigating Agency is not bound by the conclusions reached by the Commission of Inquiry. The appointment of a Commission of Inquiry involves a profligate use of public money compared to Police Investigation or Vigilance Enquiry by the Police. Then, what earthly benefit is achieved by obtaining a report of the Commission of Inquiry and what public good is served by expending colossal amount for the functioning of the Commission is a matter which calls for immediate attention of the legislatures and the public. Justice Krishna Iyer penned two decades ago that "the public Inquiry legislation is becoming an antiquated, impotent and dubious instrument"3.The politicians and social workers have to think twice before pressurising the Government to appoint Commissions of Inquiry to inquire into issues relating to committing suicide by a student, complaint of molestation and the like which can be effectively dealt with by the State machinery if they have any concern for public good and public interest.

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1. Administrative Law by Sir William Wade, 7^th Edition

2. Commission of lnquiry by V.R. Lakshmi Narayanan, Seminar 221 Annual, Page 42

3. Foreword by Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer to Commentary on Commissions of Inquiries Act by Ramasubramanyam.