Should people with legal background be appointed as Information Commissioner?
19 Jul, 2012On a public interest litigation (PIL), the bench comprising of the Chief Justice M.Y. Eqbal and Justice T.S. Sivagnanam, of the Madras High Court has observed that “While making appointment to the posts of State Information Commissioner, the State should take note that persons having wide knowledge and experience in law are also considered for appointment to the said posts.”
The Bench said that Section 15 (5) of the RTI Act prescribed the qualification for appointing State Chief Information Commissioner and the Information Commissioners. As per the provision, persons of eminence in public life with wide knowledge and experience in law, science and technology, social service, management, journalism, mass media or administration or governance were eligible for appointment.
It was earlier prayed before the High Court that the public is suffering due to vacancies in the posts of Information Commissioner for several months. On the prayer of the Advocate-General, A. Navaneethakrishnan, for time to get instructions in the matter and file a counter, the bench posted the matter for further hearing after four weeks.