In a bid to address the feeling of alienation often expressed by the people in Northeast, the UPA government has decided to bring higher judiciary closer to the common man in the region. The government is contemplating to set up three new high courts in the region, aimed at expansion of judicial access for the region and fulfilling the decades old demand.
Sources stated that the Union ministry for home affairs and law and justice ministry are in an advanced stage of consultation for establishment of three new high courts in the north-eastern states of Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura. With several of these states being affected by insurgency, the UPA government feels that establishment of these high courts will ensure a quicker legal process and reduce pendency of cases in the region.
The move would require an amendment of the north-eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act 1971 and the MHA has proposed to bring it up in the forthcoming monsoon session of Parliament.
A communiqué to this effect has been sent to the law ministry this week asking for finalisation of the proposal at the earliest.
Currently, the north-eastern region of India has only two high courts — Sikkim high court and Gauhati high court in Assam — which exercises jurisdiction over other states such as Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Tripura, Meghalaya, Manipur and Mizoram.