NCMS panel submits report on monitoring mechanism for higher judiciary

NEW DELHI: A sub-committee of the Supreme Court constituted National Court Management System (NCMS) has submitted its report to the apex court panel where it has looked into the issue of developing a National Framework of Court Excellence to set measurable standards of performance for courts and a monitoring mechanism to measure these performance parameters.

The performances parameters have been developed to evaluate judicial performances in the higher judiciary. So far, there was no set parameter against which the judges of the apex court and high courts were evaluated for their judicial performances. Being constitutional authorities, the government had no role to play on evaluation of judges of the higher judiciary.

However, the high courts have framed guidelines for “giving credit for disposal of various categories of cases in the performance appraisal of judges of subordinate judiciary”, informed minister of state for law P P Chaudhary recently in response to a question in Parliament. The high courts have administrative control over the district and subordinate courts in their respective states.

“The government has no role with regard to judicial performance evaluation of the Judges of the Supreme Court, high courts and the subordinate judiciary,” the minister clarified.

Chaudhary confirmed that the sub committee of NCMS, which looked into setting up measurable standards of performance for courts and a monitoring mechanism, recently submitted its report to the NCMS.

At present, the government only evaluates the performance of advocates recommended for elevation as judges of the HCs, after receiving proposals from HC collegium. The performance of would be judges are evaluated based on cases in which they have participated and judgments passed. The government also carries out background check on the advocates’ integrity and professional experience, besides perception in the bar.