‘7’

MEASURES FOR EXPEDITING DISPOSAL OF CASES

    Following a review of the working days in the Supreme Court and High Courts by the Estimates Committee of the Eighth Lok Sabha on the Ministry of Law and Justice (Department of Justice), it was revealed that all High Courts were normally having 210 working days in a year. Thereafter, the questions of working days was examined at different intervals. The matter was also referred to the Chief Justice of India on June 25, 1986. The Chief Justice of India informed that the Supreme Court was already working for 220 days. The full court of the Supreme Court had decided to add two more working days. The views of the Chief Justice of India were communicated to the High Courts. Most of the Chief Justices of High Courts were of the view that 210 working days were all right and no change was called for as judges put in extra work in their chambers or at their residence. In addition, this question was resolved in the Chief Justices’ Conference held in 1987.

    The Government has taken various other steps to speed up the disposal of mounting arrears of cases. These include filling up of vacancies of judges , simplification of rules and procedures on the basis of advice and recommendations of expert bodies like the Law Commission of India and the Mallimath Committee. The Government has also sanctioned an amount of Rs. 502.90 crore for creations of 1734 Fast Track Courts for expeditious disposal of cases involving undertrials on priority. So far, more than 900 Fast Track Courts have been set up all over the country.