Former SC, HC Judges Form Panel To Examine SIR Electoral Roll Revision
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
A lawyers’ association has formed a five-member panel of former judges to examine the legality, methodology and impact of the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Panel Headed By Former SC Judge Madan Lokur
The Lawyers Association for Constitution (LAFC) said the independent commission will be headed by former Supreme Court judge Madan B Lokur. It will examine the constitutional and statutory validity of the SIR exercise and its impact on eligible voters.
The panel includes former Supreme Court judge AK Patnaik, former Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Badar Durrez Ahmad, and former judges Rekha Sharma and Anjana Prakash.
According to the LAFC, the commission will function autonomously and assess whether eligible citizens have remained on the electoral rolls and whether ineligible entries have been appropriately removed.
Public Hearings Planned Across India
The commission plans to conduct public hearings in different parts of the country. Full and regional benches will travel to various locations to record the views and testimonies of affected citizens, civil society organisations and experts.
The LAFC said the commission would have the final responsibility for its findings and recommendations.
Senior Lawyers To Provide Legal Advice
Several senior lawyers will provide strategic legal advice to the panel, according to the association.
The list includes Kapil Sibal, Prashant Bhushan, Chander Uday Singh, Prashanto Chandra Sen, Raju Ramachandran, Rebecca Mammen John, Warisha Farasat and Vrinda Grover.
SIR Faces Wider Legal Scrutiny
The formation of the panel comes amid wider legal scrutiny of the electoral roll revision exercise. Courts have recently examined issues concerning the deletion and restoration of voter names and the procedures followed during SIR.
The new commission’s proposed public hearings are expected to gather accounts from voters and other stakeholders as it examines the legal and procedural aspects of the exercise.
