Set up human rights courts, CJI suggests

Bhopal, Sep 2 (UNI) Chief Justice of India Y K Sabharwal today suggested setting up of independent human rights courts and empowering the human rights commissions along with its expansion upto district and tahsil level.

Speaking on ''Role of human rights commissions in democracy'', Mr Justice Sabharwal said human rights bodies should be given more powers and made competent to help the needy and to keep people's faith in such institutions intact.

''At present, there was no provision for human rights courts'', he lamented, adding ''in the present judicial system courts were set up by merely issuing a notification. It was improper''.

Stating that human rights were violated in rural areas also, Mr Justice Sabharwal said people were displaced in the name of development infringing their rights. ''Rehabilitation work should be taken up along with development'', he observed. Attention should be given to ensure that every citizen got clean water and environment.

Pointing out that human rights commission's priority should be to ensure justice to the victims, the CJI said it should be ensured that the rights enshrined in the constitution should be protected.

The CJI lauded the working of Madhya Pradesh HRC and wished it should emerge role model for the country.

Madhya Pradesh High Court Chief Justice A K Patnaik suggested that human rights courts should be set up in the state and said cases relating to human rights violations were rarely brought up before courts due to lack of awareness.

MP HRC Chairman Justice D M Dharmadhikari said plans were afoot to extend the commission's working in rural areas also.

UNI SP 1421