00:00A few hours before the swearing-in of this country's newest Chief Justice,
00:06Attorney at Law Prakash Ramadhar said he believes changes are needed to the overall process of
00:12selecting judges. There are certain judges who are exceptional in terms of their conduct,
00:17the way they deal with people, and the way they administer judges, and the others who fall short
00:21in all of you. It is my humble suggestion, and I'll put it in writing, that the constitutional
00:27majority that is now held by this administration should be used to look in a new mood of appointing
00:34judges and the removal of judges. Ramadhar says the country could benefit from subjecting potential
00:41judges to public scrutiny, recommending that they appear before a parliamentary joint select committee
00:47to be questioned on their views about democracy and national issues similar to systems in other
00:53jurisdictions. In the recent past, and in the longer term, we've seen appointments of judges who
00:59very few people have ever heard of before, including those who are in practice, persons who we have no
01:06history about, and with the extension of the age for judges up to 70, we've seen very youthful persons,
01:13young people being appointed, and therefore you may have persons who are 25 years ahead of them as a judge.
01:19He notes that the only way to remove a judge with good reason is through the prime minister. However,
01:27he believes there should be a point of review for these high office holders.
01:32We hear the argument, and I appreciate it, of all the independence of the judiciary. But after 10 years,
01:37a person should be assessed, and if they fit and proper, they are renewed until whatever age. If they are not,
01:43however, and matters come before the country and the judicial legal services commission, then they need not be
01:50renewed. Oh, renewed, sorry. Cindy Raguba, Tika Singh, TV6 News.
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