"Financial Autonomy Of The Judiciary Is An Integral Part If We Want A Different Outcome From Our Judicial System": CJI NV Ramana

"If we want a different outcome from the judicial system, we cannot continue to work in these circumstances. An integral aspect, in this regard, is the financial autonomy of the judiciary. I have, therefore, sent a proposal for the establishment of the National Judicial Infrastructure Authority to the Ministry of Law and Justice, and I am hoping for a positive response soon. I urge the Hon'ble Minister of Law and Justice to expedite the process and ensure that the proposal to create the National Judicial Infrastructure Authority of India (NJIAI) with statutory backing is taken up in the upcoming Winter Session of the Parliament. Institutionalising the mechanism for augmenting and creating state-of-the-art judicial infrastructure is the best gift that we can think of giving to our people and our country in this 75th year of our Independence, expressed Chief Justice of India NV Ramana Ramana on Saturday.He was speaking at the Inaugural Function of 'B' & 'C' Wings of the High Court Annexe Building of Bombay High Court, Bench at Aurangabad."Institutionalising the mechanism for augmenting and creating a state of art judicial infrastructure is the best gift which we can think of giving to our people and our country in these 75 years of Independence. Something that I find praiseworthy is that the Aurangabad bench of the High Court of Bombay has taken proactive steps towards the conservation of the environment. So sustainable architecture and design should form a model for the rest of the country to follow", he continued.As regards the state of judicial infrastructure in this country, the CJ presented some "hard facts and figures"- the total sanctioned strength of judicial officers in the country is 24,280; the number of courts available is 20,143; 26% court complexes do not have separate ladies toilet and 16% do not have toilets even for gents. Only 54% of court complexes have purified drinking water facilities, only 5% have basic medical facilities, only 32% of separate record rooms, only 51% have a library, only 27% have a computer placed on the judges' Dias with video conference facilities."Good judicial infrastructure for courts in India has always been an afterthought. It is because of the mindset that courts in India still operate from dilapidated structures making it difficult to effectively perform their function. Judicial infrastructure is important for improving access to justice and to meet the growing demands of the public that is more aware of its rights and is developing economically, socially and culturally. It is baffling to note that the improvement and maintenance of judicial infrastructure is still being carried out in an unplanned and ad hoc manner", told the CJ.Remarking that today's success, of the inauguration of the new court complex, should not blind us to the issues, he continued to state, "The issue I wish to highlight is that the need for a court complex at Aurangabad was identified in 2011 by a meeting convened by the senior-most judge. That it has taken more than 10 years for this vision to be implemented is extremely worrisome. This is not the fault of any institution but it is symbolic of a deeper structural problem that has plugged judicial infrastructural development since Independence"He stated that an effective judiciary can aid in effective growth of the economy- "According to an international research published in 2018, 9% of the annual GDP is the cost which the country suffers as an impact of the failure to deliver timely justice. The impact of under-supported judiciary is also seen in foreign investment. Without adequate infrastructure, we cannot aspire to fill this gap. If we want a different outcome from the judicial system, we cannot continue to work in the circumstances"The CJI proceeded to congratulate the government of Maharashtra and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray for his efforts and cooperation. "Shri Uddhav Thackeray promised on the dias that he is going to provide a place and organise a function for laying the foundation for new court buildings in Mumbai. I sincerely thank him. I am glad to be sharing the dias with Shri Kiren Rijiju, Hon'ble Law Minister. I will call him my young friend and I am happy that he understood the problems of the judges and the judiciary very quickly and his enthusiasm and commitment to the cause of justice is reflected in the frequency of our meetings over the past few months through such events", expressed the CJ"It is a common notion that only criminals or victims of crime approach the court. People take pride in stating that we have never visited or seen a court building in our lifetime. But it is high time that we make efforts to remove the taboo associated with approaching courts for the assertion of the people's rights. The common man deals with multiple legal issues during his lifetime, and so should never feel hesitant to visit the court. After all, people's faith in the judiciary is the biggest strength of democracy. Courts are ...

"Financial Autonomy Of The Judiciary Is An Integral Part If We Want A Different Outcome From Our Judicial System": CJI NV Ramana

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