Judiciary should not transgress into legislature's domain: MPs

While supporting the High Court and the Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill, which aims at hiking the salaries of judges in the Supreme Court and the high courts, several members stressed on the supremacy of Parliament over the judiciary.

Kalyan Banerjee (TMC) demanded that MPs across the political spectrum should approach the Supreme court and say that "it is not your function" to legislate.

Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai, who was in the Chair, too said the function of the judiciary is to interpret the law. "They can't legislate the law".

Echoing Banerjee's views, P Ravindra Babu (TDP) said that Parliament is supreme because "we represent the collective mandate of people."

Several members also pitched for live telecast of proceedings within the High Courts and the Supreme Court.

"If Parliament proceedings are telecast live, then why not have the live telecast of court proceedings," Banerjee said, adding that if this happens, then people can witness the behaviour of judges.

Tathagata Satpathy (BJD) suggested that court cases in which the verdict has already been passed should be brought within the purview of Right To Information (RTI).

Terming the Contempt of Court provision as "abominable", he said it should be removed from the statute.

Vinayak Raut (Shiv Sena) too asserted that between the judiciary and Parliament, "unquestionably Parliament and legislative assemblies are above the judiciary."