Now, judges to get law at their fingertips

CHENNAI: In an effort to provide instant access to various laws for district judges in Tamil Nadu, a software that could be installed in mobile phones will be given, MY Eqbal, Chief Justice of Madras High Court, said here on Sunday.Addressing the conference of judicial officers of southern States of India, organised by the TN Judicial Officers’ Association, Eqbal said the software would contain 71 enactments including the Civil Procedure Code and the Criminal Procedure Code. Internet connection is not necessary to access it.Eqbal said 49 fast track courts were on the threshold of being closed due to non-extension and want of funding from the Centre. “To stop this, which would have had a negative impact on the morale of judicial officers, I persuaded the government to give life to fast track courts and it was agreed.” Also, all the 49 posts of district judges are included in cadre strength.“When the government wanted special courts for land grabbing cases, I insisted that the cadre strength of civil judge (junior division) should be increased and it was done.”Everything was being done to fulfil the aspirations of the judicial officers, he said. To take justice to the doorsteps of the litigants, 10 mobile courts will soon start functioning. Special courts to deal with cases under the Negotiable Instruments Act are also being constituted. To cut the travelling time of judicial officers from districts, two regional judicial academies will be set up in Coimbatore and Madurai to provide them training.CN Ramachandran Nair, Acting CJ, High Court of Kerala, spoke of the exodus of young legal talents to the private sector and underlined the importance of resolving cases through Lok Adalats. Judge, Supreme Court, HL Dattu, said the regular grant of adjournments reduced the value of time and said it should be strictly guided by the provisions of Order 17 of the CPC and section 309 of the CrPc. Noting that the criminal justice system was eye-witness oriented, he said forensic science was rarely applied which is static and stunted in India.