Chief Minister Conrad Sangma today defended his government’s decision to extend the operation of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and Code of Civil Procedure (CPC) in the entire State.
Speaking to media persons here, Sangma said the district council courts are already exempted from the State government’s notification that extended CrPC and CPC in the State.
“There is no need to say (exemption) as Constitution gives ample protection to the district council courts and hence there is nothing to be worried or concern about as the objective of this notification is mainly and solely to ensure that the judicial magistrates under the district session courts can exercise their powers and it will not affect the powers of the district council courts,” he said.
Sangma said that the State government’s notification on CrPC and CPC cannot overrule the constitutional provisions which empower the courts created under the Sixth Schedule.
“The Constitution has clearly mandated in paragraphs 4 and 5 of the Sixth Schedule that the Governor has the powers to appoint judges in the district councils and that cannot be superseded by a notification by the government of Meghalaya,” Sangma said.
“Paragraphs 4 and 5 have defined the powers in that and they derive the powers from that and there is no question of one notification from the government of Meghalaya overruling the entire constitutional provisions,” he added.
On the concerns expressed by District Councils on the issue, Sangma said there would not be any kind of encroachment or interference into the functioning of the courts that are run by the District Councils.
