The Hindu : National : Ensure faster and simpler justice: Manmohan

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Thursday, Oct 06, 2005

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National

Ensure faster and simpler justice: Manmohan

Siddharth Narrain

A stable legal system is essential to the sound economic growth of the country

— PHOTO: PTI

GOING DIGITAL: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh holding the laptop during the inauguration of `Five Years National Programme For Computerisation Of Judiciary,' in New Delhi on Wednesday. Chief Justice of India R.C. Lahoti is also with him.

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurated a Five-Year National Programme for Computerisation of Judiciary here on Wednesday.

Mr. Singh said the judicial system's shortcoming in delaying cases would hopefully decrease through use of technology.

The programme is aimed at introducing information and communication technology (ICT) in the judicial system.

Saying that the high cost of dispensing and securing justice is a barrier for the poor, Mr. Singh requested judges and Minister of Law and Justice H.R. Bhardwaj to think of methods to ensure faster and simpler justice. Linking the modernisation of the judicial system to the economic growth of the country, Mr. Singh said that "a stable, sound, legal system which dispenses justice is essential to the sound economic growth of the country."

Chief Justice R.C. Lahoti, delivering the keynote address, said technology and a scientific approach could contribute significantly to improving the justice delivery system and ensuring better court services.

He called for the appointment of a high-power commission to look into issues related to administrative reforms in the justice delivery system. Justice G.C. Bharuka (a retired judge of the Karnataka High Court), the Chairman of the E-Committee in charge of the project to implement ICT in the judiciary, said the plan included the creation of computer rooms in all 2, 500 court complexes and to provide around 15,000 judicial officers with laptops.

The plan, which is estimated to cost Rs. 854 crores over five years, aims at complete automation at the registry level, the digitisation of law libraries and court archives, and installation of video conferencing facilities in court complexes. The Ministry of Law and Justice constituted the E-Committee under the chairmanship of Mr. Justice Bharuka in December 2004.

Minister of Law and Justice H. R. Bhardwaj said the E-Committee will continue to implement the project under the guidance of Mr. Justice Lahoti.

The inaugural function was attended by Justice Y.K. Sabharwal; Minister for Communications and Information Technology Dayanidhi Maran; Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Law and Justice, K. Venkatapathy.

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