Shillong: The Hynniewtrep Youth Council today urged the Meghalaya government to request the Centre and the Supreme Court to consider appointment of competent advocates from among the indigenous communities as judges of Meghalaya High Court.
Leaders of the youth council, however, stopped short of pinpointing any shortcomings in the rulings or observations of the high court that might have not gone well with the prevailing traditions, customs and practices of the indigenous people in this hill state.
“We are not against appointments of judges from outside. We are only requesting appointments from indigenous communities. Meghalaya is a tribal state with diverse cultures and traditions, customs and practices, different land tenure systems and a traditional system of governance. With due respect, the judges from outside may not be well conversant with the system. But if persons of such stature are from indigenous tribes, they can have better understanding of the #complex and intriguing# systems,” the president of the council, Peter J. Lawai, told reporters after a meeting with deputy chief minister in-charge (law) Rowell Lyngdoh at the main secretariat here.
The general secretary of the council, Robertjune Kharjahrin, said Meghalaya, which has a unicameral legislature, also has three autonomous district councils created under the Sixth Schedule.
“These district councils deal with various traditional bodies which function within the ambit of the Sixth Schedule. Like Meghalaya, other tribal states in the country also have traditions and customs which differ from one tribe to another,” Kharjahrin observed.
Meghalaya High Court used to have three judges, including the Chief Justice. At present, the high court has only two judges – newly appointed Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Justice S.R. Sen.
Stating that the Union ministry of law and justice may elevate the number of judges in high courts to four, the council requested Lyngdoh to take the initiative of writing to the Centre and the apex court to consider filling up the remaining vacancy/vacancies by choosing from among senior advocates belonging to the indigenous communities, reported Telegraph.
“There is nothing wrong in the state government making a request to the Centre or the Supreme Court on this matter,” Lawai said.
The council also urged the BJP’s state unit to take up the issue with the NDA government at the Centre.
Lyngdoh told the delegation that he would discuss the matter thoroughly with chief minister Mukul Sangma and law officials.