There is enormous pressure on judges in India, right from the lower
courts to the Supreme Court.
With a backlog of close to three crore cases and just not enough judges, they clearly need help
Chief Justice of India T S Thakur on Sunday April 24,2016 came down heavily on the
government, saying the latter was sitting over at least 170
recommendations sent by the apex court collegium two months ago for
appointment of high court judges, when many of the HCs were working at
50% of their strength.
"If you have 170 names sent to you (for appointment of HC judges) for two months, I don't understand why they are held up, where are those proposals stuck, we should know," CJI Thakur said, with law minister Sadananda Gowda sitting next to him in a joint press conference at Vigyan Bhavan at the conclusion of the two-day conference of chief ministers and chief justices of high courts.
"It is not only in the name of a litigant or people languishing in jails but also in the name of development of the country, its progress, that I beseech you to rise to the occasion and realise that it is not enough to criticise. You cannot shift the entire burden on the judiciary," an emotional CJI said at the conference of chief ministers and chief justices, his voice choking.
If in 1987, the Law Commission had recommended the judge strength to be 40,000 (at 50 judges per million population), how do you think the judiciary's present strength of 18,000 can dispose of case pendency of three crore?" the CJI asked, looking towards Modi.
With a backlog of close to three crore cases and just not enough judges, they clearly need help
CJI Cries for more judges Sunday April 24,2016
"If you have 170 names sent to you (for appointment of HC judges) for two months, I don't understand why they are held up, where are those proposals stuck, we should know," CJI Thakur said, with law minister Sadananda Gowda sitting next to him in a joint press conference at Vigyan Bhavan at the conclusion of the two-day conference of chief ministers and chief justices of high courts.
Chief Justice of India T S Thakur almost broke down on Sunday as he
lamented that the judiciary had been made the scapegoat for the mounting
pendency of cases, leading Prime Minister Narendra Modi to offer a closed door meeting with the judiciary to sort out the problem
"It is not only in the name of a litigant or people languishing in jails but also in the name of development of the country, its progress, that I beseech you to rise to the occasion and realise that it is not enough to criticise. You cannot shift the entire burden on the judiciary," an emotional CJI said at the conference of chief ministers and chief justices, his voice choking.
The CJI said the Law Commission had recommended in 1987 that the
judge-population ratio be increased to at least 50 judges per million
population. However, three decades later, the ratio remained an abysmal
15 judges per million people in a country which had added 25 crore in
population since then, he added, looking towards the prime minister.
If in 1987, the Law Commission had recommended the judge strength to be 40,000 (at 50 judges per million population), how do you think the judiciary's present strength of 18,000 can dispose of case pendency of three crore?" the CJI asked, looking towards Modi.
His outburst caught the PM'sattention, Modi, who was not scheduled to speak at the event, said, "Jab jaago tab
savera (better late than never). I can understand his pain as a lot of
time has lapsed since 1987. Whatever has been the compulsions... We will
do better in the future. Let us see how to move forward by reducing the
burden of the past."
PM Modi invited the CJI and his senior colleagues for a closed dootr meeting with him and his top Cabinet ministers to discuss all issues pertaining to judicial reforms and manpower constraints.
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