1st North Zone Regional Workshop on ‘Planning and Management for Timely Justice’

Chandigarh, November 28 – The Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court, Mr. Justice T.S. Thakur today stressed the need for a National Planning and Management System for the Administration of Justice. He also stressed the need for adopting a multi pronged, multi dimensional approach and strategy to meet the challenges that the country’s judicial system facing today due to our ever rising population. Mr. Justice T.S. Thakur, who was addressing the inaugural session of the 1st North Zone Regional Workshop on ‘Planning and Management for Timely Justice’ organized under the joint auspices of Punjab and Haryana High Court, Chandigarh Judicial Academy and National Judicial Academy, Bhopal here today, said that the number of cases pending in the Subordinate Courts / District Courts had risen to 2.60 crore and those pending in the High Courts more than 38 lakh. He observed, “it is very disturbing that despite numerous measures taken by the Government as also by the judiciary by way of increasing the Judges’ strength in the country, establishment of permanent Lok Adalats, promotion of Alternative Disputes Redressal Mechanisms, establishment of Mediation and Conciliation Centres and above all despite reforms in the procedural laws applicable to adjudication of disputes, the back log of cases has kept on increasing every year. No single step, reform or measure can help wipe out the arrears and ensure disposal of cases within a reasonable time frame. There is no magic wand that can either reform the system or over-night reduce the arrears of cases. A multi pronged, multi dimensional approach and strategy along can help the judiciary in meeting this challenge”. He said that in olden times, a Judge was never formally trained for the discharge of his functions as a Judge, since the burden of cases was manageable and he learnt his lesson by himself. Things had changed since then. He pointed out, “Pressure of work on Courts today is so great that the Judges need to be trained not only to cope with the volume of work but also diversity arising from the proliferation of laws that the Courts are called upon to enforce and administer. It is not uncommon or surprising that Judges would encounter problems arising out of management of their official business not only on account of lack of training in such management, but also on account of lack of awareness regarding the availability of different supporting systems that can help them produce better results.” Quoting Mr. Paul Hawken, a Management Guru, “Good management is the art of making problems so interesting and their solutions so constructive that everyonewants to get to work and deal with them”, he said that good management could go a long way in solving the problem of pendency of cases in the Courts and ensure speedy justice to the people. He said that the National Judicial Academy had for the first time in judicial history identified key management areas with a view to enhancing productivity of courts. These key areas comprised Policy Framework, Court Management System based on Court Wise Plans for Timely Justice, Pendency Management System, Individual Case Management System, Information Management System for Timely Justice and Establishment of Planning and Management Support Units at the State and national level. Action plans for implementing the strategies in respect of each one of the above management systems relevant to the individual State should be discussed and implemented. He pointed out that the management of business in the courts, which include management of case work, a Judge is entrusted with, management of staff provided to him, management of time available at his disposal and management of everything concerning him as a Judge including management of members of the bar, who are an essential part of our system, was absolutely essential to achieve a satisfactory level of productivity. Management lessons, techniques and strategies were relevant not only people, who manage business or other commercial organizations, they were relevant and indeed essential even for those, who are managing administration of justice in the Courts and determining the rights and liabilities of the parties and granting redress to them and which is by all means no less important than managing a business house. Mr. Justice T.S. Thakur expressed hope that the workshop would help the participants in understanding the nature of problems and the real causes that impede productivity and evolving methods to manage work and problems in a better way. Mr. Justice Mehtab S. Gill also addressed the participants of the workshop. Prof. (Dr.) G.Mohan Gopal welcomed the Judges and participants of the workshop. Mr. Justice Ashutosh Mohunta presented vote of thanks. No.IPRDH/2008