New Delhi, October 15
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the introduction of 5G technology will further accelerate e-justice that took root during the Covid pandemic. “Many major changes are inherent and they are about to take place. Therefore, every state must update and upgrade its systems keeping this aspect in mind,” the Prime Minister told a conference of state law ministers and law secretaries on Saturday.
“Delay in justice is the biggest challenge for the people. Our judiciary is working to resolve this in Amrit Kaal,” he observed while pointing out that when the legal system evolves in step with the society, its natural inclination is to embrace modernity. The changes in society get reflected in the legal system and technology has become an inalienable part of justice system which the nation saw in the Covid period.
The e-cost mission in country is advancing fast. Virtual hearings have become part of the legal system. In addition e-filing is also being promoted. While courts embrace technology, the legal education system should also be accordingly updated, he suggested in a virtual address.
The Prime Minister also made several suggestions to not only make the legal system dispense faster justice but also to make it affordable and understandable for the poor.
In this respect he touched on the need for more fast-track courts, alternate dispute resolution, evening courts, making some laws time-bound, framing laws that are easily understood and extensive use of local languages.
“Language in law should not be a hurdle,” he said while advocating an academic eco system in which law courses are in local language and incorporate the developments in technology.
Dwelling on alternate dispute resolution, he recalled that his initiative to open evening courts as the CM of Gujarat led to the resolution of nine lakh cases. Most of them were of lesser offences and people would not lose their working time in attending court hearings during the day. States should also work on remodeling village-level dispute resolution systems to make them part of the legal system.
The PM also referred in this respect to Lok Adalats that are working very well in many states. They have not only resolved lakhs of cases, but also lessened the word load of courts and made it especially easy for the village folk to get justice.
The PM also dwelt on the lack of clarity in the law, whose brunt is borne by the common citizen. The complexity in language makes ordinary people to run from pillar to post and spend money. He wondered if there can be two variants while the law is being prepared. One could use technical words and the other written in simple language so that the poor can understand the law.
In some countries, the law has a time limit given for law. “While formulating the law, the expiry date is determined. At the end of the time period, the law is reviewed. In India, too, we have to move forward in this spirit,” he observed.
The PM also spoke on the need for speedy trial of undertrial prisoners which he had raised earlier in a conference of High Court judges.
