Everything the Prime Minister said at the conference of chief ministers and chief justices rings true: the number of judges must be increased to reduce pendency of cases and cut inordinate delays in their disposal; and fast-track courts should operate to deliver justice quickly, specially when the victims are from vulnerable sections. It’s time to walk the talk: the Centre must get liberal with funding to revive the fast-track courts system; and both Delhi as well as state governments should do more than simply repeat well-known facts — about how many cases are pending and how long it takes courts to deliver rulings. Not only is “justice delayed is justice denied” a truism of vintage provenance, it also carries a stern message for Indian courts where so many cases are pending. The Supreme Court website reveals, with some riders, that 67,320 cases are pending as of March 31. If that is the state at the country’s highest court, the numbers before the lower judiciary across the country can well be imagined.
The Union law minister admits that quick justice for the common man still remains a “distant dream”. It’s a great pity that everyone is convinced that the December 16 Delhi gangrape incident has had a lot more to do with shaking off the judicial inertia. The memory of the brave woman will also be well served by speeding up the justice system to ensure that millions do not suffer from simply having to wait for justice to be delivered.