New Delhi, Jan. 22 -- The Supreme Court wants Parliament to put a full stop to the unbridled power enjoyed by presiding officers of legislatures in deciding disqualification pleas against lawmakers.

The SC on Tuesday observed that a Speaker also belongs to a political party and asked Parliament to think over setting up some sort of permanent body or independent mechanism to decide disqualification petitions. The Bench pointed out recent cases where Assembly Speakers came under scanner for their handling of disqualification petitions and said that MPs or MLAs should not be allowed to continue even for a day if they have incurred disqualification for issues like anti-defection.

In its Tuesday judgment in a case related to the role of the ...