Blitz Bureau
PRESIDENT Droupadi Murmu has said that reducing pendency of cases is a big challenge facing the judiciary. Addressing the two-day National Conference of District Judiciary at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on August 1, the President said all stakeholders should come together and find solutions to address the backlog of cases. She said that cases remain pending for as long as over 32 years. She also unveiled the flag and insignia of the Supreme Court on the occasion.
President Murmu observed that court decisions in heinous crimes like rape come after a generation has passed. Due to this, the common man feels that the judicial process lacks sensitivity, she said and pointed out that the poor people from villages are afraid to go to court and become a participant in the justice process only under great compulsion. She said they often tolerate injustice silently because they feel that fighting for justice can make their lives more miserable. She stressed that every possible measure should be taken to change this situation.
She said that it is a “sad aspect” of our social life that, in some cases, people with resources continue to roam around fearlessly and freely even after committing crimes and the victims live in fear “as if those poor people have committed some crime”.
President Murmu also opined that although there have been significant improvements in infrastructure, facilities, training and human resources of the judiciary at the district level, a lot remains to be done in all these areas. The President called for taking “every possible measure to change the culture of adjournment”, adding that many people cannot even imagine the pain that poor people experience due to this situation.
She also suggested assessment and improvement of the health and education status of the children of women who are in prison. She said that measures should be taken to improve the thinking and mental health of juvenile delinquents, adding that imparting them with useful skills for living and providing them free legal aid should also be the priority.
The President noted that since its establishment, the Supreme Court has made an invaluable contribution as a vigilant sentinel of the judicial system of the world’s largest democracy
