Union Minister for Law and Justice Veerappa Moily said here on Saturday that the pendency of cases was one of the major areas of judicial reform and that his Ministry's focus would be on clearing case arrears.
With this aim in mind, a deadline of 2012 had been set to ensure that no litigation was kept pending for over three years. Mr. Moily said he had been vocal about the need for reform for a long time. “Now is the time to implement [measures],” he said. Fast-tracking of criminal and corruption cases with no more than a one-year litigation period is also on the cards.
The Minister said the government was working towards bringing in the ‘Right to Justice Bill.' However, efforts were still in the initial stages.
Mr. Moily spoke of bolstering infrastructure in the subordinate courts for which Rs.7,000 crore had been allocated. The upgrade measures would include the establishment of ‘gram nyayalays' or rural courts.
In a bid to bring the stature of legal studies on a par with the management and technical studies, Mr. Moily said 14 national law schools would be established in three years. “Just like the IT professionals, I will ensure that lawyers excel globally in the coming five years.”
Undertrials overcrowding jails
The Minister raised the concern of overcrowding in jails. A number of undertrials were languishing. He said he had written to the Chief Justices of High Courts, seeking the disposal of at least two-thirds of the cases between January 26 and July 31.
Mr. Moily cited the case of a youth remaining in jail for four years for a theft of Rs.800, of which he had voluntarily returned Rs.600 to the owner.
