The Supreme Court has held that only sitting or retired Chief Justices of High Courts or a Supreme Court judge can head the Central and State Information Commissions and asked the Government to amend the Right to Informationn Act.

A bench of justices A K Patnaik and Swatanter Kumar also said that like other quasi judicial bodies, people from judicial background be also appointed as members of the Central and State Commissions which is to be done after consulting with the CJI and the Chief Justices of the respective High Courts.

The bench passed the order on a PIL challenging section 12 and 15 of the Right to Information Act, 2005 enumerating the qualifications needed for the appointment of members to the commissions.

The bench, however, refused to quash the sections but asked the government to modify it so that people from judicial background are also preferred for the post.

Meanwhile, the Central Information Commission is likely to suspend all hearings from today in light of the the Supreme Court order.

PTI reports, an emergency meeting of all the Commissioners has been convened today to study the decision