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| PM favours fast track courts for corruption, family disputes | | | New Delhi | Apr 19
Holding that corruption is a challenge to both government and judiciary, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today favoured setting up special courts to combat the menace, an idea endorsed by Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan.
The Prime Minister also indicated that the Center might help states in setting up the family courts. He was addressing a conference of Chief Ministers and Chief Justices of High Courts.
"Corruption is another challenge we face both in government and the judiciary. The CJI has written to me suggesting that we create special courts to deal with corruption cases. I agree that there is urgent need to do so. This will instill greater confidence in our justice delivery system, at home and abroad," The Chief Justice stressed the need for quick disposal of cases registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act and favoured the creation of special vigilance courts.
Despite repeated efforts, allocation of funds for starting new courts "is not very encouraging", Justice Balakrishnan said, asking States to start more special vigilance courts to dispose of corruption cases.
"After the establishment of Fast Track Courts, we could dispose of large number of such cases. Even then the number of courts is not sufficient to dispose of the cases," he said.
The Prime Minister also said that the Centre might step in to establish family courts in the country as many states have failed to discharge their legal obligation in this regard.
"Many state governments have so far failed to discharge their legal obligation in this regard. As a result many litigants, hailing mostly from socially and economically weaker sections of the society, have to travel long distance to seek redressal of the grievances”.
The Prime Minister said that since Family Courts Act is a social welfare measure, the Centre has power under Article 247 to establish additional courts for better administration of laws made by Parliament.
Singh made the remarks in response to a letter written to him by the Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan about the need for Central intervention due to the apathy shown by most of the state governments.
The Family Courts Act 1984 mandates state governments to establish family courts in urban areas with a population of over one million.
Singh emphasised the need for "liquidating" the largescale pendency of cases and asked the states to increase the number of judicial officers and upgrade the existing infrastructure.
"The Central government is prepared to work with state Governments and the courts to modernise the relevant infrastructure to computerise processes and systems and to provide alternative justice delivery systems that can help reduce the burden on the High Courts and the Supreme Court," Singh said.
Singh said there was clearly a merit "to increase the number of judicial officers and judges in the High Courts and Supreme Court." Recently 152 new posts of High Court judges had been created and an increase in number of judges in the apex court is also being undertaken, he said.
He emphasised the need for constant interaction between the Government and the judiciary for discharging their respective Constitutional goals.
"But how we translate theory into practice is influenced both by our own conduct and by the extant social and political environment. Hence, it is necessary for us to talk to each other, from time to time, to ensure that we are indeed fulfilling the role assigned to us by the Constitution and, at the same time, meet the hopes and aspirations of our people," the Prime Minister said.
Stressing the need to upgrade the existing infrastructure, Singh observed, "many court buildings and complexes have not seen any expansion since the time they were originally built.
"This has contributed to a severe congestion in courts and our court premises in many places have a sorry look about them. The Centre is willing to help states in constructing new court buildings and residential accommodation for judges," he said. |
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