M A I L B A G

Need for prompt dispensation of justice

Apropos of the editorial “Timely justice” (Sept 21), Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has done well to do some plain speaking on the issue of administration of justice in the country. Addressing the conference of Chief Ministers and Chief Justices of the High Courts in New Delhi recently, he rightly said that long delays in the disposal of cases will erode people’s confidence in the system.

Curtailing the number of holidays and vacations in the courts at all levels, as suggested by the Prime Minister, can cut delays to some extent. There is need to have a second look on the jurisdiction of courts to deal with matters arising out of laws of purely fiscal nature. The establishment of National Tax Tribunal is a step in the right direction.

Let us hope that the judiciary responds without prejudice to any sound proposal designed to cut delays and to make justice affordable to the common man.

G.S. KHURANA, Amritsar

II

I filed about nine petitions in different courts. In five petitions, I appeared in person before the lower courts, the Delhi High Court and the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Cases concerning my appointment took a month or so whereas the case relating to my Ph.D thesis took about four years by the High Court. The Ph.D case went in my favour and the High Court directed the university to do the needful within three months, but in vain.

On the basis of my experience with filing petitions, meeting advocates, officers of the courts appearing before the judges and so on, I feel short petitions should only be filed in the courts. Lengthy petitions and illogical arguments contribute to delayed justice.

In the case of notice of motion, the respondent should file reply within a week.

OM PARKASH WADHWA,
Head (Public Administration),
Government College, Gohana

Senior Citizens’ Day Today, October 1, is being observed as Senior Citizens’ Day all over the country. High-flown speeches will be delivered from richly decorated platforms on the stupendous role played by senior citizens. But soon these will be forgotten, making the function a ritual. Soon, the day itself pales into insignificance. Everyone wants to live longer but nobody wants to be old because old age is said to be the “age of ill, pill and bill”. In any case, what is life without teeth, good vision and hearing? Perhaps you are wiser with age, but what do you do with wisdom when you are physically down and out? Who said that “those who deeply love never glow old; they die of years but they die young”? Maybe, taking the cue from this lovely advice, some men of “grey eminence”, on the pretext of evening walk, try to glance at the pretty faces in the local market! No pun is intended here as the writer of this letter is himself 65, not out! D.V. JOSHI, Bartana (Zirakpur)