The Hindu : Front Page : Sabharwal for efficient, accessible judicial system

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 12, 2006

Front Page

Front Page

Sabharwal for efficient, accessible judicial system

Staff Reporter

Says the judicial system in our country is at a crossroads

SEAT OF JUSTICE: Chief Justice of India Y.K. Sabharwal inaugurating the new High Court building in Kochi on Saturday. Photo: H. Vibhu

Kochi: Chief Justice of India Y.K. Sabharwal said on Saturday that it was time to make a resolve by the judiciary to provide a modern, efficient and easily accessible judicial system and also inexpensive and fair justice to one and all.

Inaugurating the new building of the Kerala High Court, the Chief Justice of India said that "judicial system at all levels in our country at present is at a crossroads. It is expected to fight against sheer numbers in the bursting dockets and yet maintain high quality in adjudication. It faces the daunting task of dealing with a monolith of huge arrears."

Fails to meet challenge

He said that the country had not kept pace with the required judge-population ratio "so as to meet the new challenges on this account. Yet we cannot sit quiet or make excuses. Judiciary should rise to the occasion, as it has always done, and provide solutions."

He said that the huge arrears did not deter the judges. It was not an insurmountable task. "We must view the huge inflow of litigation as an expression of utmost faith reposed in the judiciary by the people of India. It is our duty to take a pledge that we shall redeem the hopes and aspirations of the litigants at large."

Backlog of cases

Presiding over the function, Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court V.K. Bali stressed the need to address the issue of backlog of cases. He said that if we did not sincerely address this ordeal, it would "result in frustration of the common man who looked towards judiciary as his only hope."

The main reason for the backlog was "inadequate judge strength, commensurate with the workload."

He said that court management, promotion of alternative method of disputes resolution had to be adopted for reducing the arrears.

Speaker Therambil Ramakrishnan, Law Minister K. M. Mani, Minister for Public Works M. K. Muneer, Supreme Court Judge P. K. Balasubraminan, Kerala High Court Advocates Association president G. Sreekumar, Sebastian Paul, MP, Kochi Mayor Mercy Williams and others spoke.

The golden jubilee celebrations of the High court were also inaugurated at the function by Supreme Court Judge K. G. Balakrishnan.

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