Centre has approved Rs 9,000 crore for lower judiciary: Law Minister Kiren Rijiju

New Delhi, Oct 7: The infrastructural demands for more courtrooms, digitalised rooms, toilets in the judicial complex will be fulfilled in a few years as the Centre has approved Rs 9,000 crore for the lower judiciary, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday said while emphasising that "justice at the doorstep" should be made the priority.

The statement on approval of fund by the Law Minister assumes significance as Chief Justice of India (CJI) N V Ramana, on September 11, had said in a function at Allahabad that the courts in India still operate from "dilapidated structures, without proper facilities" as good infrastructure for the judiciary has been neglected after the British left. Rijiju said "the government recently took a big decision for the judiciary recently. Cabinet has given approval for Rs 9,000 crore for the lower judiciary.

Till now, judges sit in rented houses to work and there are no toilets for female lawyers and judges." "In the next few years, demands such as more courtrooms, digitalised rooms, toilets in the judicial complex will be fulfilled due to the cabinet decision. This will not take long. It will be done in three to four years," he said. The law minister, while speaking at an inaugural ceremony of Gajanand block at Delhi's Tis Hazari Court, also stressed the pendency of over four crore cases in the country, ninety per cent of which are in the lower judiciary. and said that "justice at the doorstep" should be made the priority.

"Villagers knock on the door of the court after selling their houses and belongings. It affects their life when they do not get justice," Rijiju said. He rued that thousands and lakhs of people wander in district court, metropolitan court, and gram nyayalaya, but fail to get any justice. "Justice at the doorstep is the priority. When we get focused on this, all the problems will be solved," the minister said.

He also said that there is a need for reforms in the legal education system and to increase its standards as "good legal education will produce good lawyers and judges." "The quality of good judges will lead to the quality of good judgement. We do not want to appoint any judge due to which people start questioning the judiciary," he said, adding that there is a need to train judges and lawyers for arbitration and mediation as well. Besides Rijiju, Justices Siddharth Mridul, Suresh K. Kait, Prathiba M Singh, Talwant Singh of the Delhi High Court, and Delhi Law Minister Kailash Gahlot were also part of the inaugural ceremony.

Delhi Bar Association President Sanjeev Nasiar also put forth various demands before the Union Law Minister, including a lawyers' academy and advocate protection act. Gahlot appealed to Rijiju on the behalf of the association to fulfill these demands. Justice Mridul also said, "Ninety per cent of the work is with only ten per cent lawyers. Few are daily wagers. They have faced issues during the pandemic. Few have returned homes. I hope their demands are fulfilled. This compelled Kiren Rijiju to say, in a lighter vein, that the chemistry of Bar and Bench is great. PTI