By Abdul Gani, TwoCircles.net,
Guwahati: Rueing at the ever growing crisis of the Indian judiciary system the Chief Justice of India, Palanisamy Sathasivam who was in Guwahati to inaugurate the newly constructed building of Gauhati High Court stressed on the measures to redeem it.
The 40th CJI stressed on giving importance to women and children issues in the courts besides to bring an early solution to the year-long pending cases.
Chief Justice of India P Sathasivam (C) opening the entrance of the new Additional Building of Gauhati High Court in Guwahati on Saturday. Photo: Lal Singh
“There’s unfortunately, a growing crisis within the judiciary. The manifestation of this crisis lies not only in the ever-increasing arrears of cases in courts and the consequent delays in our justice delivery system but also in the steady decline in the reputation of the judiciary as also of the legal profession. This institution unlike the others in the democratic set up thrives only on trust and confidence reposed by the people. So, we should conduct ourselves befitting to the status we hold,” Sathasivam said addressing a jam-packed gathering in Guwahati on Saturday.
The 64 year old judge from Tamil Nadu who joined office on July 19 in 2013 further said that he is for solving the old pending cases at the earliest besides calling for a gender sensitive approach. “After joining the office I have written to all the Chief Justices of various High Courts in the county to find out all the cases which have been pending for 10 years or more and give them priority. Besides, Women and children are also to be especially dealt with,” he added.
Besides, he said that lawyers should be the guardians of the reputation and majesty of Courts and they should prevent corruption and bias entering the portals of courts. “Judicial function is no doubt a challenge to everyone who occupies that office, more so with the merging contemporary challenges. To be able to respond to such a noble assignment of dispensing justice efficiently and impartially, a judge, has to improve his knowledge and skills,” said Sathasivam who has given several land mark judgments of the country.
Stressing on the need for the sensitized judiciary he said that sometimes a judge has to go beyond than just being an active judge. “He has to be an activist judge. Where it is warranted, he has to go behind the letter of the rule, identity the principal and policy of law on which the rule is based and act in furtherance of the same,” he said.
He also gave importance on sensitizing the investigating officers, lawyers and judges to violence against women with reference to rape and child sexual abuse, family law such as property rights, inheritance and maintenance, domestic violence and sexual harassment at the work place.