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Outrage over gang rape has hastened reforms: Law Minister
Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, January 12
Law Minister Ashwani Kumar today said the national outrage over the recent gang rape in Delhi had hastened the process of changes in the justice delivery system.

“Tragic events in the recent past that have shaken national sensitivity and shocked the national conscience have indeed hastened the process of introspection” on this aspect, Kumar said while addressing a conference on “Recent Trends in Judicial Reforms: A Global Perspective” organised by the India International Law Foundation (IILF).

The ongoing reforms would address a wide range of issues, including judicial accountability, perceived inadequacies in procedural laws, better infrastructure and special courts for dealing with domestic violence and other crimes against women in order to reinforce people’s faith in the rule of law, the minister said.

The government would ensure the passage of the Judicial Accountability Bill in the Budget session of Parliament beginning next month, while the proposed All-India Judicial Service to fill vacancies in high courts was in advance stage of finalisation, he said.

During the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17), model courts would be set up across the country as part of the efforts to put in place a citizen friendly judicial system and ensure that the “law works for everyone”, the minister said.

The Centre would provide full funding for setting up 5,000 gram nyayalayas, he added.

In his inaugural address, President Pranab Mukherjee said the conference was being held at the right time when judicial reforms were the norm all over the world in view of the globalisation of the economy.

Judicial reforms were imperative for enhancing the quality of justice that was at the core of human existence and welfare of any society and “it is simply the fundamental goal of all societies”, he said.

Dr Dalveer Bhandari, Judge of The International Court of Justice and president of IILF, pointed out that most countries, including the UK, China, Brazil, Canada, South America and Australia, had ushered in major legal reforms in recent years.

Besides addressing the persistent problems of inadequate judges and infrastructure to clear the huge backlog of cases in India, there was need for making use of technology and alternative mechanisms of dispute resolution, he said.

Supreme Court judges and several other judges and legal experts took part in the conference.

Judicial reforms

• Reforms to address issues like judicial accountability, inadequacies in procedural laws, special courts for cases of crime against women
• Govt to push for passage of Judicial Accountability Bill in Budget session, proposed All-India Judicial Service nearing finalisation
• Model courts to be set up across the country; Centre to fund setting up of 5,000 gram nyayalayas