KEVADIA: The two-day All India Presiding Officers’ Conference, which concluded here in Gujarat on Thursday, passed several important resolutions, including one urging the government to set up a body, comprising the President, Lok Sabha Speaker and Chief Justice of India, to oversee the constitutional balance between the legislature, executive and judiciary.
“It was unanimously felt that the three organs of the tate should work within their own jurisdiction as laid down in the Constitution, thereby, maintaining the spirit of cooperation, coordination and harmony,” Lok sabha Speaker Om Birla said in his concluding address.
Several presiding officers expressed concern about increasing judicial overreach in legislative issues, contradictory judgements in cases related to anti-defection laws and delayed judgements leading to a situation of impasse in the legislative business.
Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh emphasised on the need to pass laws expeditiously in the legislatures and said delay in the process had the potential to cause widespread socio-economic losses.
Rajasthan Speaker CP Joshi, however, was vocal about judicial overreach in legislative affairs as he referred to recent political crisis in the state. “MLAs are being lured to resign and get away with anti-defection law… I had not taken any action against rebel MLAs but the court stepped in, which was interference in the jurisdiction of the Speaker,” he said.