Paying rich tributes to freedom fighters on the occasion of the 74th Independence Day on Saturday, High Court Chief Justice J.K. Maheswari said the Constitution provided the framework for the present legal and judicial system, which envisaged the right to access justice. But, in reality, only a few privileged had true and real access to justice delivery institutions, he observed.
Delivering his Independence Day speech at the High Court, Mr. Justice Maheswari emphasised that the courts had an onerous and delicate duty, apart from deciding the disputes between the parties, to be the balancing wheel that kept a just equilibrium between fundamental rights and social justice.
The constitutional ethos of an independent judiciary could not be permitted to be diluted by acts of implied intervention, or undue interference from external forces, he observed.
Mr. Justice Maheswari said COVID-19 taught us a new lifestyle, and that though the concept of virtual courts was developed long ago, it had been brought in vogue only in the present situation.
He stated that the Andhra Pradesh High Court was the first in the country to initiate virtual hearing of cases after the declaration of lockdown.
Cases disposed
Since the lockdown came into effect on March 26, the High Court heard 27,462 cases and disposed of 5,241 cases as on Friday due to the cooperation of entire legal fraternity, he said, and paid homage to High Court in-charge registrar-general B. Rajasekhar and S. Prasad Naik, a section assistant, who died while discharging their duties during the pandemic.
