Proactive judiciary

The CJI means business when he talks of piles of cases and inordinate delays in our courts (‘To be fair and just’). Judges need to be efficient, proactive and adopt a humane approach. The judiciary should pull up the executive and legislative for its passivity. I am aware of a case of a college teacher fighting for justice since 1987 against his illegal and mala fide transfer. He has not got justice due to the clout and nexus of the powerful management having a battery of senior lawyers at its command. The duty of the court is not to legislate but to expound and iron out the creases in law.

Lokesh Godara, Chandigarh

Legal system

Apropos of ‘PM for use of local languages in courts’; this will benefit a large section of people who will know whether their lawyers are arguing their cases properly or not. But the constraint can be that the judge needs to know the local language. Crores of cases are pending in various courts in the country. The government is also responsible for pendency. When the government considers the ratio of number of doctors, teachers, policemen etc., per thousand of population, why is the same not applicable to the number of judges and courts required to reduce the pendency of cases? It must fill all vacant posts of judge. There has to be a time limit for the disposal of cases, particularly of undertrials. The cases pertaining to government litigation can be reduced by screening at the legal department of the respective ministry or PSU as per the rules and regulations and allow the cases that require court intervention to be filed in courts. Judges and the Law Ministry must be made accountable for pending cases.

O Prasada Rao, by mail

Pendency of cases

People look at judiciary as the last resort. If the judiciary itself cries for sweeping reforms, the outcomes from it can be well understood. The CJI has rightly pointed out that 50% litigants are government departments. The caseload of government petitions can be reduced by making officials responsible and accountable for the delay in natural justice. The shortage of judicial officers in the courts has caused the accumulation of lakhs of cases. The space constraints, infrastructure and parking woes of courts can be well imagined. Justice if given after 20-25 years cannot be called justice.

Wg Cdr Jasbir S Minhas (retd), Mohali

Service issues

Reference to the article ‘To be fair and just’; it is right to say that it is the responsibility of the executive and the legislature to support the judiciary in order to reduce its burden of work. To deliver quick justice, the courts should give strict instructions to government officers who cannot deal with service matter cases, which comprise almost half of the pending cases, in a responsive manner.

Satish Sharma Majra, Kaithal

Simply intolerant

Refer to ‘The religiosity of hate’; all killers, maimers and hate-mongers counterfeiting in the name of religion or faith are sinners and criminals having no wisdom, compassion or respect for life or law. The majoritarian groups are getting fanatic about loudspeakers or bulldozers; the political class plays divisive tactics, and the police system is a handiwork of the netas. The religious fault lines are giving rise to bigotry where non-violence and secularism are being compromised with lumpen acts. Shrinking room for dissenting voices in the name of religion is nothing but intolerance. The majority community must uphold the faith and trust of the minorities.

Abhimanyu Malik, Jind

GST revenue

Refer to ‘Record GST revenue’; the government may well pat itself on the back for GST collections touching record highs. But it is the higher prices which are responsible and not any economic recovery. The RBI is of the opinion that it is likely to take 12 years for the Indian economy to recover from the effects of Covid-19. The Finance Minister should also do something on the employment front. Urgent policy action is needed to rein in the inflation rally and bolster consumer sentiment, so as not to sink the hopes of more investments, faster growth and even greater revenues.

SS Paul, Nadia

Political ambitions

Apropos of ‘After falling out with Congress, Kishor hints at floating party’, probably the success of the AAP in Punjab after Delhi has encouraged the poll strategist to take a political plunge. Kejriwal’s AAP was the result of and based on an anti-corruption movement. Initially it was powered by volunteerism, though now it is not very different from other parties in functioning. Kishor is no stranger to politics, having once been associated with the JD(U). It may not be easy to break into Bihar’s political landscape.

PL SINGH, by mail

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