LUCKNOW: Paucity of judges and high rate of the institution of cases every year have led to huge backlog in trial courts.
Even the law commission has, time and again, preferred setting up special morning and evening courts to settle the petty disputes like violation of traffic rules and police challans to reduce the pressing burden on trial courts.
Now, the Uttar Pradesh government is contemplating steps to ease the mounting burden on trial courts.As per the sources in state law ministry, the government is set to initiate the process to identify and withdraw petty cases.
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Sources claimed that the law department had been directed to identify the petty cases and prepare a proposal for their withdrawal to be put before the state cabinet in the days to come.
The cases falling in the category of petty issues would be related to traffic and police challans, power theft, cases registered by municipalities and development authorities and criminal offences of a minor nature.
“Mainly, compoundable cases wherein the offender may choose to pay fine to evade imprisonment and also reconcilable cases wherein the two parties involved may resolve the matter through an out of court settlement would be considered to be shortlisted,” said the source adding that even the case related to offences amounting to jail sentence of less than three years would also be kept in the category of petty cases.
In UP, around 30 lakh new cases are added to the list of pending litigations in the subordinate courts every year with over 30% of them being petty offences. The process of separating and petty cases assumes significance amid rising voices at Allahabad High Court to ease the pressure.
Relieving stress
The government is set to initiate the process to identify and withdraw petty cases.
Law department has been told to identify petty cases.