On Saturday, the Central Govt said it expects CJI N V Ramana to give urgent attention to the huge pendency of cases in trial courts where commoners exhaust their lifetime savings in litigating for justice but are often denied the legitimate due because of delayed adjudication of their grievances.
“It is the lower courts where we need to look with urgency. Many persons from humble backgrounds, be it from rural or urban areas, spend their lifetime earnings in land or houses expecting justice. When that justice gets delayed, it is a big question mark on all of us,” law minister Kiren Rijiju said at a Bar Council of India’s function to felicitate the CJI.
In his speech, CJI complimented PM Modi & the law minister for clearing “in jet speed” the appointment of 9 Supreme Court Judges & said that he expected similar expeditious appointment of names recommended for the high courts by the Apex Court Collegium. The collegium has cleared a record 68 names for appointment of Judges in 12 HC's.
The law minister said the Govt is keen on speeding up justice dispensation & stressed that a delay of three years is enough to render justice meaningless.
“I have said in many of our internal meetings that a delay of three years amounts to denial of justice. After three years, the justice is meaningless for the litigant. So we must ensure that the common man is given priority when we talk of justice delivery mechanism. That is what we expect from the CJI & he is doing exactly that,” the Minister said, while promising the Govt's wholehearted support to improve the infrastructure & facilities for the judiciary.
The CJI said the judiciary is woefully short of infrastructure requirements for Judges, staff, lawyers & litigants. He said expeditious filling of vacancies in the HCs & SC remains his top priority but the inadequate infrastructure constantly impedes the justice delivery system from picking speed.
He said that “I have suggested to the government for the National Judicial Infrastructure Corporation to quickly address the infrastructure issues faced by the judiciary & a comprehensive proposal for its creation is under process. We have collected information from every state about the status of infrastructure & future requirements. I will compile the data & present a comprehensive proposal to the law minister very soon. I expect full cooperation from the government".
Rijiju said the Union government is ready to extend all support for strengthening the independence & infrastructure of the judiciary, especially the trial courts. “In today’s time, we need a lot more facilities, including video conference facilities, for the judiciary. I will actively persuade the states to step up efforts in meeting the infrastructural demands of the judiciary,” he said.
CJI Ramana said the Covid pandemic has forced the courts to switch from physical to virtual hearing. “Many in rural areas do not have internet connectivity to participate in virtual proceedings of the courts,” the CJI said & requested the law minister to take up the issue with internet service providers to set up mobile internet kiosks at taluka level to enable lawyers in the hinterland to argue their clients’ cases & not feel excluded from the justice delivery system.
Rijiju said, “We have a CJI in whom the government has full trust & faith that he will do justice to the country. He is a person of high integrity & commitment, who is set to herald a new dawn in Indian judiciary."
Returning the compliment, the CJI said, "When he met Rijiju for the first time, he appeared like a college student. I will not ask him the secret of his youthful looks but will tell him the secret of expeditious justice delivery - quick filling of vacancies & providing adequate infrastructure to the judiciary."
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