Delay in Rights panel chief appointment
SHILLONG: With Government not getting a retired chief justice of High Court to head the Meghalaya State Human Rights Commission, the Law department has stressed on the need to amend the National Human Rights Act to facilitate the appointment of a Chairperson other than the retired chief justice.
The Law department has conveyed to political department on the need to amend the Act after the latter had written to the law department seeking its opinion.
A State Human Rights Commission will consist of a Chairperson and two members.
As per the National Human Rights Act, only the retired chief justice of any High Court can become the Chairperson of State Human Rights Commission.
As per the Act, one of the members should be a person who is, or has been, a Judge of a High Court or District Judge in the State with a minimum of seven years experience as District Judge.
Another member should be appointed from among persons having knowledge of, or practical experience in, matters relating to human rights.
The State Government has already selected Additional Deputy Commissioner MB Challam and former Meghalaya DGP PJP Hanaman as the members of the Commission.
Earlier, the political department had urged the former chief justice of High Court of Meghalaya Meena Kumari and retired Judge of Supreme Court Dr. Justice M K Sharma, who is also a retired Judge of the High Court to head the Commission, but in vain as they had declined the offer.
Justice (retd) Meena Kumari decided to head Tamil Nadu State Human Rights Commission, while Justice Sharma could not accept the offer and cited other official engagements as the reason.
An official of the law department said that since Meghalaya is not getting any retired chief justice of High Court to be appointed as Chairperson of State Human Rights Commission, the only way is to amend the National Act to pave way for someone other than a retired Judge of the High Court to head the state panel
“We have written to the political department in this regard to take a call on the suggestion,” the official added.