The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Circuit Benches may not reduce number of pending cases

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Saturday, Jul 05, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Circuit Benches may not reduce number of pending cases

B.S. Ramesh

‘They will encourage more people to file appeals against lower court verdict’

Bangalore Mediation Centre has settled 2,000 cases
Adequate security provided to courts in State

BANGALORE: The commencement of the Circuit Benches of the High Court at Dharwad and Gulbarga is unlikely to reduce the pendency of cases in the High Court. On the other hand, the number of cases being filed in the High Court is likely to go up.

This is so as the two benches would encourage more and more people from the districts of North Karnataka to file appeals against lower court verdict in the High Court. Agreeing with this assessment, Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court Cyriac Joseph says the Benches would not only encourage people to file more cases but also lead to all-round development of the region.

Sparing a few minutes from his busy schedule, the Chief Justice on Friday an exclusive interview with The Hindu on the High Court premises in Bangalore said that there would be a surge in the coming days in the number of cases being filed in the Circuit Benches. He does not foresee any reduction in the number of cases at the Principal Bench in Bangalore.

Mediation

On the role of courts in the changing global scenario, the Chief Justice said mediation would become popular and more litigants would go for it rather then let their cases be decided by court.

Mediation, he said was an art and it attempts to bring about an understanding or compromise between two parties. In mediation, neither party loses. But in a court case, one wins while the other loses and it leads to bitterness between the parties. In mediation, differences are narrowed down and finally ironed out, he says.

He said that in the last year and half, the Bangalore Mediation Centre (BMC) has earned accolades as being one of the best of its kind in the country. It has settled 2,000 cases (as there are no appeals against settlement arrived at under mediation).

The Chief Justice says the growing popularity of mediation would ensure people going in for private or pre-trial mediation. Citing an example, he says in the United States, a majority of cases are settled through mediation and less than 15 per cent of the cases come up for hearing before courts.

Mr. Cyriac Jopseph says adequate steps for providing security to court buildings and court staff have already been put in place. He says the High Court has been fenced and entry regulated to prevent unauthorised persons from entering the court premises. Steps have been taken to provide security for all other courts in the State after consulting the police and bar associations.

Infrastructure

Mr. Cyriac Joseph said he enjoyed his stint in the State. He said he visited every district and tried to ensure that courts were provided with adequate infrastructure. He said the amount of money released by the State Government towards the judiciary in the last three years was unprecedented. He ascribed this to the harmonious and cordial relations that the judiciary had with the Legislature and the Executive.

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