NEW DELHI: The government and the judiciary on Saturday agreed to set up state-level bodies to cater to the infrastructural needs of courts across the country. At a joint conference of Chief Ministers and Chief Justices of High Courts, CJI N V Ramana said the CMs were of the view that instead of a national body, state-level special purpose vehicles should be set up.
CMs or their nominees would be a part of such a setup. CJI Ramana had mooted judicial infrastructure authorities both at the state and the national levels. After discussion, there was near unanimity among the chief ministers about state-level infrastructure body to be established. Most of the states have agreed to adopt this model.
The CJI has been quite vocal about setting up state and national- level bodies to adequately deal with the infrastructural needs of courts across the country. Asserting that it is extremely important for courts to function in a safe environment to deliver free and fair justice, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju urged state governments to ensure adequate security to judges and in court complexes.
He also asked bar associations to create a conducive environment to maintain decorum in courts and court complexes. Addressing the conference, Rijiju said the coronavirus pandemic had hit hard the justice delivery mechanism but the courts rose to the challenge by going virtual.
On vacancies in High Courts, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the sanctioned posts of judicial officers in the state were increased from 230 to 299 over the past five years and 271 judges are working at present. Cases pending for more than three years were disposed of and five new building projects in district courts were completed, an official release quoting Dhami as having said.