Clamour from States to revive the fast-track court model in solving pendency of cases in courts has finally prevailed on the Centre. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday announced that the 14th Finance Commission will allocate funds for fast-track courts to try offences not just against women but elderly and children too.
Addressing the joint conference of Chief Justices and Chief Ministers of States, PM also spoke of hiking the funding to enhance the number of subordinate courts and judges since the present judge to population ratio of 15.5 judges per million population was “grossly inadequate”.
Fast-track courts (FTC) project had to be abandoned after the Centre withdrew its share of 50 per cent funding after 2005. States expressed difficulty to bear the additional burden causing 1500 FTCs in the country to be wound up. In the joint meeting, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh attacked the Centre for changing its policy with regard to FTC without waiting for its fruits.
“Such short term vision and frequent changes in policy creates a lack of faith in the system,” said Gujarat CM Narendra Modi. Gujarat initiated 166 FTCs which disposed nearly four lakh cases. His counterpart in Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav, in his speech read in his absentia cited helplessness to set up special courts for children and elderly on account of lack of
Central support.
With 73 FTCs to be established in the country for speeding up trial of heinous offences against women, and an equal number required to be set up for offences against elderly and children as well, PM in his address said, “We will engage with the 14th Finance Commission for devolution of funds to the State Governments specifically for the judicial sector. In addition we will request the Commission to earmark funds for establishing FTCs for speedy trials not just in cases involving heinous crimes but also those in which offences have been committed against the vulnerable people like the elderly, woman and children.”
The joint meeting held after a gap of four years helped iron out differences over clearance of pending projects proposed by the Chief Justices that remained stuck with the political executive for want of funds or sanction. Chief Justice of India (CJI) Altamas Kabir who spoke to mediapersons after the conference said, “The conference was successful to address two issues — restore harmonisation between executive and judiciary, and setting up of FTCs.”
law Minister Ashwini Kumar at a Press conference later in the day announced the decision of the Centre to sponsor 75 per cent of the project cost for creation of FTCs. A note issued by law Ministry said, “Proposal will be made (to Finance Commission) for earmarking funds for FTCs as a special package.” The Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the Centre will not be limited to creation of FTCs alone but to generate funds to set up additional courts and judicial manpower at the subordinate judiciary level.
The joint meeting which deliberated on other problems ailing the judicial system also agreed to cure the acute shortage of judicial manpower by doubling the sanctioned strength of subordinate judges from 18871 to nearly 37000 in a phased manner over the next five years. This may significantly increase the judge-population ratio, a concern expressed by PM in his speech. Further, the meeting decided to take urgent steps to address vacancy in High Courts in order to marginally increase the existing strength of 906 HC judges by 25 per cent in next three years and 50 per cent by five years.