NEW DELHI: AMID the ongoing debate over Hindi being made the language of communication between the states, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said local languages should be encouraged in the courts. He emphasised that this is needed to make common people feel connected to the judicial system. Speaking at the joint conference of Chief Ministers and Chief Justices, the PM said: “In our country, all Supreme Court and high court proceedings are done in English. A large section of the population finds it difficult to understand the judicial process. We need to make the system simpler for the general public.”
He said he had constituted a group to examine the possibility of whether laws can be drafted in legal language as well as in terms easily understood by the common man. “I have set up a group that is examining whether both versions can be passed by the assembly or Parliament.” He said it is in practice in various countries and both the formats are considered legally acceptable.
“Even our scriptures state that justice is the basis of good governance. It is for this reason that justice should be linked to the people. Unless the common man understands the basis of justice, for him there will be no difference between justice and executive order.” He also appealed to chief ministers and chief justices of high courts to give priority to cases related to undertrial prisoners languishing in jails and release them, as per law, based on human sensitivities and asserted that judicial reform is not merely a policy matter. Quoting official figures, the prime minister said about 3.5 lakh prisoners are languishing in jails or are under trial. “Most of them belong to poor or ordinary families.
I would appeal to all chief ministers and Chief Justices of high courts to give priority to these matters on the basis of humanitarian sensibility and law.” The PM also said that redundant laws must be scrapped. “In 2015, the government identified 1,800 obsolete and redundant laws. Out of them, 1,450 Central government laws have already been repealed but the states have abolished only 75 such laws,” Modi said and urged the chief ministers to address this matter on a priority basis.