Punjab and Haryana High Court (File Photo)
A Chandigarh based lawyer has filed a PIL in Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking quashing of the impeachment provisions in the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968. The lawyer, Hari Chand Arora, has contended that there are 228 MPs in the Parliament who are facing criminal cases and their interest is in conflict with the law.
“Besides, there are several MPs who are practicing advocates. Their conduct in seeking removal of a Judge of the High Court or that of Supreme Court of India also is hit by doctrine of conflict of interest. Thus, the provision which enables a small number of MPs to introduce a motion for impeachment is against the letter and spirit of the provisions contained in Article 124 (4) of Constitution of India,” Arora has said in the PIL.
Referring to the motion of impeachment against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra submitted recently by 64 MPs in Rajya Sabha, Arora has said that they constituted only eight percent of the total number of 797 lawmakers in the Parliament. “They only caused embarrassment and incalculable harm to the Judicial system. Such a vital petition is different from ordinary motions, which may be rejected in due course. Such an impeachment motion, even if rejected, results into causing irreparable harm to the judicial system,” he has said in the plea.
The PIL will come up for hearing on Thursday.