The Cabinet has given its nod to the amendments to the Representation of Peoples Act. This is to negate the recent Supreme Court verdict on disqualification of convicted legislators.

The decision was taken at the Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in New Delhi last evening.The amendment will have a provision that the convicted member will continue to take part in proceedings of Parliament or Legislature of a state but he or she will neither be entitled to vote nor draw salary and allowances till the appeal or revision is finally decided by the court.

However if any person is in judicial custody he or she will not be debarred from contesting elections.

The Supreme Court in its verdict last month had struck down a provision in the electoral law that protects a convicted lawmaker from
disqualification on the ground of pendency of appeal in higher courts.

In another decision, the Government has cleared the proposal to set up a Judicial Appointments Commission for appointing judges in Higher courts. The move aims to scrap the collegium system of appointing judges to the Supreme Court and High Courts.