CJI stresses on vibrant subordinate judiciary

Affirming his commitment for enhancing judicial effectiveness, Chief Justice of India Justice P Sathasivam today called for steps for creating a vibrant judiciary in the country so as to win the trust and confidence of the people.
Inaugurating a new building of Odisha Judicial Academy here, the CJI called upon the judicial officers to not just uphold the rule of law but to ensure that justice is delivered in time so that the litigants do not lose faith.
Assuming charge to the coveted post only three weeks ago, the CJI said even though he has a tenure of only ten months, he is determined to clear the maximum backlog of pending cases during this period.

"For this, I have already written three letters to chief justices of all High Courts of the country for speedy recommendation of names to fill up vacancies in their respective courts", Justice Sathasivam said adding the Supreme Court is taking effective steps for appointment of judges after fixing a time limit for it.
He also suggested all judicial officers to identify the cases which are pending for long and dispose off them fairly, earnestly and effectively on priority basis.
The CJI was also in favour of opening more and more courts to deal exclusively on different subjects and stressed on opening of holiday and evening courts so that the working litigants do not suffer.

Emphasising the need of full-fledged Judicial Academies in the country, the chief justice said these institutions create support structures for upgrading justice delivery system by imparting training to judicial officers and magistrates of lower courts.

He said sitting and former judges of the High Courts, Supreme Court and legal luminaries and academicians can explain them procedures to follow during delivery of justice.
Speaking on the occasion, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said the new building of Odisha Judicial Academy was a long standing demand of the legal fraternity of the State.
He said with the aspirations of people rising, the judiciary must ensure speedy justice and his Government is committed to provide adequate infrastructure for this purpose.

Patnaik also stressed upon the alternative justice delivery system through which mutual settlement of disputes is possible for the poor litigants.
Four other judges of the Supreme Court - Justices B S Chouhan, A K Patnaik, Dipak Misra and V Gopal Gowda - spoke at the function, presided over by Chief Justice of Odisha High Court Justice C Nagappan.