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Justice Sikri takes oath, for quick justice delivery
Saurabh Malik
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 23
“Justice hurried is justice buried”, said Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri soon after taking over as the 31st Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court this afternoon. And with these words, Justice Sikri summed up his philosophy on delivering prompt yet quality justice to the people of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh.

His assertion, minutes after he was administered oath by Haryana Governor Jagannath Pahadia at the Raj Bhavan here, came in response to a query by mediapersons as to what steps he proposed to take to ensure that justice was not delayed. Chief Justice Sikri minced no words, saying that administrative and judicial reforms would go a long way in cutting down pendency of cases. Simultaneously, efforts would be made to ensure justice was not a causalty in the process of speeding up the judgment delivery system.

Making it clear that the scales of justice were balanced in favour of restructuring the system, Chief Justice Sikri said his top priority would be to further improve the system through arbitration, counselling and mediation. Reforms would also be brought about through the judicial academy where judges of the subordinate judiciary underwent training, he said.

On the protocol he intended to follow for bringing about the reforms, expediting the delivery of quality justice and reducing pendency, Chief Justice Sikri said the foremost step would be to fill the vacancies of Judges.

His assertion comes at a time when the High Court is facing an abundance of cases and a shortage of judges. Approximately two lakh case-files still shuttle between the courtrooms and the branches, while just 42 Judges try to cope up with the work for which the sanctioned strength is 68.

Chief Justice Sikri said already the Judges in India were working more than those of any other country. “In the US, 70 to 80 cases are decided annually. The Supreme Court in India disposes of 70 to 80 cases a day,” he said.

Logging on to technology is another way the Chief Justice intends to tackle pendency. Better technology, case and court management too would contribute, he insisted.

For the brief, yet impressive ceremony, the police had made adequate arrangements. The entire area around Raj Bhavan was converted into a police cantonment.

At a ceremony attended by sitting and retired judges of the high court, bureaucrats, relatives and advocates, the Chief Justice swore to "bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India as by law established".

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