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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Electoral reforms not your job, govt tells Supreme Court -Dhananjay Mahapatra

Electoral reforms not your job, govt tells Supreme Court -Dhananjay Mahapatra

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published Published on Oct 8, 2013   modified Modified on Oct 8, 2013
-The Times of India


NEW DELHI: Stung by the recent spate of judgments ushering in a series of electoral reforms, the Centre on Monday told the Supreme Court that judiciary should keep off a plea to bar persons, against whom charges have been framed in serious offences, from contesting polls as the issue fell squarely within the domain of legislature and government's policy arena.

"The issue agitated through this petition are policy matter and come under the exclusive jurisdiction of the legislature and as a matter of fact, the area relating to issue agitated in the petition is covered by suitable statutory provisions in the concerned laws relating to election matter," the law ministry said in its affidavit.

The ministry also said, "It is also a settled position that the courts do not interfere in policy matters of the state unless the policy violates the mandate of the Constitution or any statutory provision or is otherwise actuated by mala fides."

After additional solicitor general Paras Kuhad submitted the affidavit, a bench of Justices R M Lodha and S K Singh asked the Election Commission to respond to the Centre's stand in six weeks.

It averted the immediate danger of the court adjudicating on a very sensitive issue, especially when many politicians, including elected representatives, are facing trial after framing of charges against them in serious offences. These politicians, under existing law, are entitled to contest elections because of the cardinal principle - an accused is presumed innocent till pronounced guilty.

The Centre also said the issue had been engaging the attention of the government, which in the past had undertaken serious consultations on the Law Commission's 170th report recommending that on framing of charges against the accused in serious offences, he be barred from contesting elections.

It said the department related parliamentary standing committee on personnel, public grievances, law and justice in its report had disagreed with the view of the Election Commission, which too had opined that in case a court framed charges in a serious offence against a person, he should be kept out of the electoral arena.

"The parliamentary committee was of the view that the proposal of the EC under reference is a major departure from the law for the time being in force which provides that if a person is convicted for an offence and the court gives a judgment convicting him, then such a person shall be disqualified for contesting elections," the Centre said.

The committee, while expressing concern over criminalization of politics, also said "prosecution in many cases is bound to be influenced by the party in power or by failure of system and in that case there is very likelihood for framing false and mala fide charges against their political opponents".

The Centre said it has referred afresh the entire issue of electoral reforms to the Law Commission "for consideration and examination with the aid of reports of various committees in the past, the views o the EC and other stakeholders etc and suggest comprehensive measures for plausible changes in the law under reference".


The Times of India, 8 October, 2013, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Electoral-reforms-not-your-job-govt-tells-Supreme-Court/articleshow/23669762.cms


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