Give date for meeting of Lokpal selection panel within 10 days: Supreme Court to AG

Venugopal said he will ask the Secretary of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) to ensure that the meeting of the Selection Committee, headed by the Prime Minister, is convened as early as possible.

The court was hearing a petition filed by NGO Common Cause seeking contempt charges against the government for non-appointment of Lokpal despite the apex court’s judgment of April 27, 2017.

Appearing for the NGO, advocate Prashant Bhushan said that further steps are required to be taken in the matter of the constitution of the Lokpal and at this stage, the names enlisted should be put in the public domain. The counsel cited Section 4(4) of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 to buttress his argument. Section 4(4) says “the Selection Committee shall regulate its own procedure in a transparent manner for selecting the Chairperson and Members of the Lokpal”.

The court, which went into the provision, said, “It is our considered view that no direction from the Court should be issued in this regard. Rather the matter should be left for a just determination by the Selection Committee as and when the meeting of the Committee is convened.”

The court had earlier requested the Search Committee to recommend by February end a panel of names for the Lokpal appointment. The Search Committee will forward the names to the Selection Committee, which also includes the Chief Justice of India or his nominee, the Lok Sabha Speaker, the leader of the largest opposition party, and an eminent jurist.