QUALITY JUSTICE

Chief Justice of India, Justice K. G. Balakrishnan has been repetitively voicing concern over the huge pendency of cases in courts at all levels and the ways to mitigate the sufferings of the litigants all over the country.

According to government’s own estimates there are nearly 2.7 crore cases pending in lower courts alone. If taken together, the number of pending cases in high courts and the apex court, the figure would be of astronomical proportions. For a rapidly developing country like India, such rate of pendency is hardly conducive. Delay in the delivery of justice loses its efficacy for those seeking timely remedy. The spectacle of generations in families fighting one single dispute in courts is not new to India. The reason often being cited for mounting pendency of court cases is shortage of manpower and lack of infrastructure. This is an old story but there is no discernible change in the over all situation. Of course, newer devices are being tried out to speed up the justice delivery system, like the opening of specialised courts Lok Adalats, fast-track courts etc. But these are wholly inadequate to meet the needs of the society. Justice Balakrishnan has stated that there are vacancies of 1000 judges at the district courts level alone. And these could not be filled up for want of competent manpower. He is right when he says that these should not be filled in a hurry. “We have to avoid candidates of questionable competence,” he says and rightly so. There is no use putting the fate of the litigants in hands of incompetent men. There is, therefore, need for raising the competence level to ensure delivery of quality justice.