Unplanned judicial infra worrisome: CJI Ramana

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 23

Maintaining that judicial infrastructure was important for improving access to justice, Chief Justice of India NV Ramana on Saturday said, “It is baffling to note that the improvement and maintenance of judicial infrastructure is still being carried out in an ad hoc and unplanned manner.” CJI Ramana was speaking at the inauguration of a new annex building of the Bombay High Court’s Aurangabad Bench. He said, “We are faced with certain hard facts like several courts do not have proper facilities. Some courts function out of dilapidated buildings. Judicial infrastructure is important for improving access to justice.”

Courts sans basic amenities

• 20% judges have no courtrooms
• 20,143 court halls against 24,280 posts of judges
• 26% courts have no separate toilets for women, 16% don’t have toilets at all
• 54% courts have purified drinking water facility

He said the building inaugurated at Aurangabad was envisioned in 2011. “That it has taken 10 years for this vision to be implemented is extremely worrisome. This is a deeper problem that has plagued our judicial infrastructure planning since Independence,” the CJI said. Terming people’s faith in the judiciary as the biggest strength of democracy, CJI Ramana emphasised the need to remove the taboo associated with approaching courts for the affirmation of their rights.

“It is a common notion that only criminals or victims of crime approach the court. People take pride in stating that we have never seen a court building in our lifetime. It is high time that we make efforts to remove the taboo associated with approaching courts for the affirmation of their rights,” he said.

The CJI said, “The common man deals with multiple legal issues during his lifetime. One must never feel hesitant to approach courts. After all, people’s faith in the judiciary is the biggest strength of democracy.”