BUILDING HOPE

Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana's dream project, the National Judicial Infrastructure Authority of India (NJIAÍ), now seems set to become a reality. The aim of the NJIAl is to upgrade and refurbish the judicial infrastructure of courts. With the law ministry forwarding the Cul's proposal to the states, there is hope that this long-standing problem can be addressed. The NJIAI and its importance was discussed in great detail on the India Legal show on APN channel by a distinguished panel. The show was hosted by the channel's Editor-in Chief, Rajshri Rai. A report

-  Sanjay Raman Sinha

RECENTLY Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju informed the Rajya Sabha that the proposal for setting up the National Judicial Infrastructure Authority of India (NJIAI) has been received from the Chief Justice of India (CJI), NV Ramana, and the proposal has been sent to states and union territories for their response. The NJIAI is meant to upgrade and refurbish the judicial infrastructure of courts. Rijiju further said that the primary responsibility of developing infrastructure for the judiciary would lie with the state governments but the command of the NJIAI will be with the CJI.

Poor court infrastructure has been the bane of the country's judiciary. One of the fundamental reasons for the lack of infrastructure in lower courts has been the paucity of funds or their improper utilization, a fact repeatedly emphasized by the CJI.

Justice Vijender Jain, former chief justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, said: “In Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand, I have first-hand experience. Here many courts are run in tin sheds. The Motor Vehicle Claims Tribunals Court is headed by a district judge and he doesn't have a cabin of his own. Hardly 10% of such tribunals have proper courtrooms. This is the state of affairs. In many places, a room is hired in residential complexes or in shopping malls for the district judge's courtroom. Now, if such is the case, how can we even speak of digitization? It is not only a matter of increasing the judges' strength. A corresponding extension of facilities should also happen. Though the district courts come under the Supreme Court, the facilities are in the state government's domain. The state governments should fulfil their responsibilities in this regard."