Proposal to make judges' appraisal more scientific
TNN | Dec 24, 2013, 03.11AM IST
Govt is working on a proposal to evolve a scientific method of performance appraisal for judges.
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NEW DELHI: At a high-level meeting chaired by law minister Kapil Sibal recently, it was proposed to set up a study by an Indian Institute of Management or a reputed law school to evolve a scientific method of performance appraisal for judges so that laggards are not bundled with performing judges, particularly when they are considered for elevation to the higher judiciary.
The matter was discussed at a meeting last month attended by Sibal, Law Commission chairman A P Shah, Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and prime minister's advisor Sam Pitroda.
The meeting also discussed how pendency of cases in courts could be brought down to zero through various reforms measures.
In the discussions, it was felt that the courts should adopt scientific methods of performance appraisal for judicial officers. Top officials of the law ministry told the meeting that currently "a uniform system of performance appraisal of judges in district and subordinate courts does not exist across the high courts".
The high courts have different norms in evaluating performance for which baseline studies are not available, a law ministry official said, and mooted the idea of asking a reputed management institute to conduct a research study on the subject.
The apex court too had expressed desire to revisit the appraisal system. It had suggested in one of the meetings between the apex court and the law ministry to evolve appraisal system on the lines of those applicable for civil servants.
Probably, very soon, judges' ACRs (annual confidential reports) will largely depend on how many cases they have disposed of in the previous year, the quality of judgment, pendency of cases in his court, negative marking for other performance standards such as for giving unnecessary adjournments etc.
The current system of writing ACRs of judges, which is based on weightage system, may be changed to a pattern similar to what is in practice for civil servants, setting a measurable performance standard.