Sorabjee against bringing higher judiciary under Lokpal

Eminent jurist and former Advocate General of India Soli Sorabjee on Sunday opposed demands to bring higher judiciary under the proposed Lokpal Bill, saying they could be "judged" only by an authoritative body of experts.

"How can lay persons, litigants and lawyers on a (Lokpal) panel judge the judges? May be the judges are not above board, but only a comprehensive body can take care of watching their conduct," he told reporters in response to questions.

Judges cannot come under scrutiny of a sort of body, which contains lawyers who slam the judiciary whenever they lose a case. Decisions like removal of a judge can only be taken by a body that consists of judges and Chief Justices of the present and the past, he said.

"They should bring up the Judicial Accountability Bill," added Sorabjee, who earlier delivered the R Venkataraman Commemorative Lecture on 'The Sanctity of Law in Letter and Spirit', organised by the R Venkataraman Memorial Committee and Essae Foundation in memory of the late President.

On the anti-corruption struggle launched by Anna Hazare, he said while the anti-graft activist is a good and non-political man, it was unfortunate that the movement had "lost its direction".

Instead of concentrating on the campaign against corruption, Team Anna members were indulging in "unnecessary" acts, he said.

Sorabjee also criticised the anti-Congress campaign by some Team Anna members in the recent Hissar by-election.