CJI calls for setting up of family courts

PANCHKULA: March 13,2010: Chief justice of India Dr Justice K G Balakrishnan has called upon the Union government to increase the budget outlay for creating more facilities for judicial system for speedy delivery of justice to the people of India.

Inaugurating the International Conference of Jurists on Judicial Reform here on Saturday, Dr Justice Balakrishnan said that the strength in high courts has improved and 2,000 vacancies are yet to be filled in subordinate courts. He noted that there are no family courts in Punjab even though the law to create family courts was enacted in1984.

The two-day conference is being jointly organized in Panchkula and Chandigarh by the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana and the International Council of jurists.

The Chief Justice of India promised to implement the recommendations of the conference and hoped that judiciary will have a new look in two to three years.

Four working sessions were held in the afternoon where national and international jurists and academics made their presentations on issues such as judicial reforms, access to justice, use of information and communication technologies in courts and relationship among judiciary, legislature and executive.

Two more working sessions will be held at Law Bhawan, Chandigarh, where Punjab governor Shivraj V Patil will address the valedictory session.
Supreme Court Judge Mr Justice R V Raveendran said that the real power of judiciary is in the trust, faith and confidence of the common people in the system. Noting that no reform can be successful without the help of the members of the bar, he exhorted the lawyer community to come forward in speeding up the justice by not seeking frequent postponements.
Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Huda said that there were three players in the judicial reform – the government, the bar and the Bench. He said the Haryana government has given top priority to filling of all vacancies in the courts and has set up 15 fast-track courts in the state.
He said that as alternative dispute resolution mechanism, the government has set up permanent and continuous Lok Adalats in 10 districts and two more are being set up. He said that the Haryana government has made use of latest technology to set up video conferencing facilities in 28 courts and jails.
Mr Huda assured the gathering that his government will do everything to bring about the reform but requested the judiciary to remove the fear of the instrument of Contempt of Court for people to fearlessly come forward with proposals.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice, Mr Justice Mukul Mudgal said that steps are being taken to increase the number of judges, courts and other infrastructure, but these are long-term measures. Till these measures are taken, maximum use of the existing infrastructure should be made, he suggested, stressing on the alternative dispute resolution mechanism.

Union minister for parliamentary affairs Pawan Kumar Bansal, observed that a justice system that is fair, swift and affordable is also a tool for growth and development. Noting that there is no denying the fact that five times more judges are required for efficient justice, he said that the real change should be in the mindsets that can bring immediate change.
He said that the Union government has given an outlay of Rs 5,000 crore for the next five years for the improvement of judicial system.