Minister for wider reforms in legal system to make India competitive

New Delhi, Aug 21 (UNI) Union Law Minister H R Bhardwaj today hinted at bringing about 'greater reforms' in the judicial and legal system which would make India capable to face the challenges of global competition and pave way for greater investments.

India's march to the 'big league' was possible only through an efficient, effective and evolving mechanism that conjoins it with the world-class legal system, he told a gathering at a conference on 'Partnership Between Business and Law' here this evening.

Stressing that he was committed to bringing about a 24-hr legal dispute mechanism that would speed up justice delivery, the minister said the system would be in place within a couple of years.

''I am trying to put in place this system which would help not just the country and the countrymen largely but greatly influence its future and bring about greater investment and credibility.'' Stating that courts in the country, right from the trial courts to the Supreme Court, would be linked within three years to usher in an era of e-governance, Mr Bhardwaj said undue 'stretching' of cases was a bane in the system and this inhibited investments.

''A 24-hr legal dispensation should be in place to dispense justice which would instil confidence not just of the people in general but also of the business class the world over thus paving way for greater inflow of investments.'' Calling for bringing about 'qualitative changes' among themselves, he exhorted the legal fraternity to wake up to the new realities of global competition and adopt qualitative inputs which would make them competent when faced with the best of legal brains - the world over.

''Lawyers and law firms must adopt the new culture and incorporate quality and better expertise in their working and handling bigger and wider range of assignments to face the challenges and competition that aligning with the WTO brings.'' This alone would help us retain a place in the global fraternity of 'best legal brains' or else competition would wash us off the terra firma of legal entities, he added.

''The government has an open mind on this.'' Mr Mukesh Ambani, Chairman Reliance Industries, also called upon the legal and business communities to join hands in making India a 'world power' which was possible only through the much needed 'next generation of legal reforms'.

''This alone would contribute in making India economically vibrant and competitively advanced.'' He also called for bringing about a legal economic system where both businessmen and lawyers become part of the citizen sector and jointly participate in social well-being.

''A constellation of forces were working to bring India to the forefront of world leadership, and with changes coming at the speed of thought, joining of hands by the business community and the legal fraternity would go a long way in strengthening that push towrds leadership.'' Competition was essential for globalisation and we all need to be prepared for it with vision and insight, Mr Ambani added.

UNI AN MIR HS1948