Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Monday said timely adjudication is itself an indispensable component of justice and not just an administrative objective.
Speaking at the inauguration of Special Exclusive Courts for trial under several important acts at the Rouse Avenue Court Complex in Delhi, he said every court is a temple of justice, but every case does not demand the same architecture for adjudication. CJI Surya Kant said the reason for creating specialised courts is to ensure the right forum hears the right case in the pursuit of delivering justice better. “It profoundly recognizes that meaningful access to justice depends upon a Justice Delivery System that is equipped to decide complex cases with competence, continuity, and within a reasonable time.”
The CJI said it is commonly interpreted that access to justice means the ability to approach a court. But this is meaningful only when it is accompanied by the assurance that justice will be delivered within a reasonable timeframe by a court equipped to deal with the complexity of the matter before it.
When the assurance that a court equipped to deal with the matter is not available, it ends up delaying cases leading to uncertainty for victims and their families and leaves undertrials awaiting the determination of their liberty.
The CJI noted that evidence is usually weakened by delays since memories inevitably fade with time. All of this diminishes public confidence in the justice system, he said.
These Special Exclusive Courts are dedicated to the expeditious trial of cases under the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act, 2008, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967, the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 and the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), 1999.
The difference made by specialised courts is evidenced by the different courts for different institutional responses. “We have witnessed this principle at work through Commercial Courts, Family Courts, Fast-Track Courts, and Specialised Tribunals, each designed to address the distinct challenges of a particular area of law,” the CJI said.
“The Special Exclusive Courts inaugurated today also represent the natural progression of that approach, as they well recognize that prosecutions under the NIA Act, the UAPA, the NDPS Act, and the MCOCA demand sustained judicial attention and specialised expertise.”
This, he said, is because such prosecutions involve investigations spanning multiple jurisdictions, voluminous documentary and electronic evidence, intricate forensic material and issues touching upon national security, organised crime, or transnational drug trafficking.
“Cases of this nature inevitably demand far greater judicial engagement than an ordinary criminal trial,” he said. The CJI noted that when complex trials are repeatedly interrupted by competing demands on the docket, adjournments become inevitable, hearings lose momentum, and the quality of the trial itself begins to suffer.
CJI Surya Kant said the success of these courts will be not determined by the infrastructure alone but by the judges, investigating agencies, prosecutors, members of the Bar and court staff. “When each stakeholder embraces this shared responsibility, timely justice ceases to be an aspiration, rather, it becomes a lived reality,” he said.
CJI Surya Kant added, “I have always believed that Delhi has served as the nation’s laboratory for judicial innovation.” Whether through technological advancements or improvements in Court administration, many transformative initiatives have first taken root here before inspiring similar efforts elsewhere, he said.
The post Timely adjudication an indispensable part of justice, says CJI Surya Kant appeared first on India Legal.