The National Judicial Policy has been enforced from June 1 sets apparently an impossible task of clearing a huge backlog of 1.5 million cases in subordinate judiciary and 0.13 million cases in the superior judiciary in just one year despite facing a shortage of 380 judges and judicial officers in courts.
The new policy, approved by the National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee, headed by the CJ, carries the slogan: “A year for focus on justice at the grassroots level” and has set tall objectives which, if attained, would bring the country’s judiciary at par with the best in the world.
The lawyers, while welcoming the policy, hoped that this would restore the confidence of the people on judicial system. A cross section of lawyers commenting on the new Judicial Policy said that the crime rate would lower with making it obligatory to decide family matters cases within three months and murder cases in six months.
Besides submission of challan within 14 days, decision on bail petition in 7 days, setting up committees for monitoring of the conduct of judges, transfer of readers and naib courts after every three months, separation of judges from the executive posts, registration of complaints against the conduct of the lawyers in the Bar Councils and such other radical measures would bring revolutionary changes in the judicial system.
The lawyers said that following measures taken by judiciary for the disposal of huge backlog of cases and wiping out corruption from the judicial system, it was now the responsibility of the government also to provide all possible help and assistance to the judiciary,