New Delhi, October 25: A day after the government proposed a “no adjournment” system for judiciary in its Vision Statement, Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan today said unless the number of courts are increased, smooth functioning could not be expected.
“When 60 cases are posted on a day, he (judge) will be inclined to adjourn the case. He knows he cannot manage the court…the judges are under pressure, that is why the adjournments are easy for the lawyers,” Balakrishnan said while addressing the National Consultation for strengthening the judiciary towards reducing pendencies and delays.
Referring to the “no adjournment” system mooted by Law Minister M Veerappa Moily in the government’s Vision Statement on reducing pendencies and delays in courts, Balakrishnan said India needed 35,000 courts for smooth functioning.
Moily had yesterday presented the CJI with the Vision Statement.
“Adjournments repeatedly applied for and routinely granted are the curse of the Indian legal system,” the document had said.
According to it, judges who grant regular and unnecessary adjournments can be identified and counselled.
The CJI pointed out that while family courts were established in 1994, there still were states which did not have such courts.
He also reminded of the judiciary’s request to the government to have more special judges for CBI-related cases.
—Agencies