Vision and Objectives of the Mission
The mission's vision and objectives are centered around enhancing the judicial system by delivering swift and quality justice to the citizens and reinforcing their trust in the law and their rights. Let's take a look at some of the mission's key initiatives:
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Establishment of Advisory Council for National Mission – An advisory council was set up under the National Mission for regular updates and to manage progress. The council is chaired by the Union Minister of Law and Justice and consists of 13 other members, with the Secretary, Department of Justice, serving as the Convenor.
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Creation of National Arrears Grid – This grid analyzes the exact number of arrears in each court and oversees the reduction of such arrears; it also aims to increase efficiency and optimal utilization of infrastructure. The national Arrears Grid maps the location and manning of each court along with their arrears and the facilities provided to the Presiding Officer. To ensure proper management of data and statistics, computer experts, statisticians and software designers will be appointed for uniform data.
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Identification of Bottlenecks – Prioritization will be worked out. Cases of senior citizens, terminally ill people, pretrial and juvenile prisoners, women victims of violence were be given priority. Retired judges and eminent lawyers will be appointed as ad-hoc judges for fast track trial. Special courtroom, additional buildings and other infrastructure may be provided.
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Adoption of Innovative Measures for Expeditious Disposal – The Presiding Officers will be provided with laptops with relevant software installed and cases related to a traffic violation and bailable offences can be dealt with through video conferencing.
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Effective Utilization of Judicial System and existing Infrastructure – The initial step would be to utilise the present facilities and infrastructure wisely. This could include dividing shifts between the judges and increasing the working hours.
Centrally Sponsored Schemes for Judicial Development – 5 Year Plan [2021-2026]
With the CSS for Development of Infrastructure Facilities for Judiciary and Gram Nyayalayas Scheme now running in Mission mode under the National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reforms, the Ministry of Law aims to expedite the development process. Here are the set targets to be achieved during this five-year plan:
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Construction of 4000 residential units for judicial officers of District and Subordinate Courts.
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Construction of 3800 court halls, 1450 lawyer halls, 1450 toilets complexes, and 3800 digital computer rooms.
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Recurring and Non-Recurring grants to be provided for a period of 5 years to support the Gram Nyayalayas.
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Operationalisation of Gram Nyayalayas in implementing states with an expenditure of Rs.50 crore.
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In order to monitor the initiatives being taken up under the mission, the following steps have been taken by the Ministry of Law: An online monitoring system, wherein, the progress on construction of amenities and infrastructure will be managed. A web portal and mobile application named Nyaya Vikas-2.0 for monitoring the financial and physical progress. A Gram Nyayalayas Portal to register the state-wise progress.
The Necessity for Judicial Development in India
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Many courts in India still operate from rented premises and lack basic amenities.
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There is a shortage of residential accommodation for Judicial Officers.
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The judicial system still relies on outdated methodologies for conducting trials and lacks innovation and technology.
To address these challenges, it is crucial for the government and other authorities to work towards the development of this sector, as the
Indian Constitution
guarantees justice for all.
Looking Ahead
The ratio of Judges and Advocates to the number of pending cases in the country is vastly imbalanced, resulting in delayed justice. Therefore, it has become necessary to work towards the advancement and digitalization of the judiciary. With the Digital India campaign making its mark in various fields, the law sector must also adapt to conducting trials through video conferencing in minor and bailable cases. Steps must be taken to equip the existing courts with computer systems and update them with the related technologies. To ensure the success of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for Judicial Development, the concerned authorities must stringently implement the proposed five-year plan.
For beginners planning to apply for the upcoming civil services exam, you can have all your queries answered regarding the IAS recruitment at the
UPSC FAQ
page.
