Dr. Avnish Jolly:After Gujarat successful experiment, Delhi Government has decided to give respite to common man can seeking justice without any harassment and delay.
The eight magistrates’ courts of India’s national capital New Delhi will begin functioning for two hours every evening from July 1 in an attempt to clear the staggering 897,373 pending cases. The sittings will be held in all the four district courts at Tis Hazari, Patiala House, Rohini and Karkardooma and officials hope this will lead to the quick disposal of around three lakh cases in the initial phase.
“Initially two metropolitan magistrates in each of the courts will hear cases in the evening but the number will soon be increased. The system will work on a rotational basis,” an official involved with the project said.
The official informed that the courts will operate from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm on all working days and there will be no added burden on the exchequer given that the existing infrastructure will be utilised. The concept of evening courts was first mooted at the conference of chief ministers and chief justices of high courts here last year, with Gujarat and Tamil Nadu having already taken the lead in the matter. The legal community is, however, divided on the issue.
Earlier this year, India’s Law Minister HR Bhardwaj in written reply in the Lok Sabha, had stated that apart from setting up evening courts, his Ministry had also requested the High Courts to increase their working hours by 30 minutes or to reduce the number of holidays. “It is up to the respective chief justices to take action in this regard,” he added.