(a) whether in the conference of Chief Ministers and chief Justices held in August 2009, the Chief Justice of India instructed its Judges to ascertain the number of under trials booked for petty offences and rendered more number of years than the punishment prescribed for the crime;
(b) if so, the number of under trials ascertained as also the punishment undergone by them; and
(c) the number of cases that are pending in the courts as a scourge and the steps taken to liquidate the arrears?
MINISTER OF LAW & JUSTICE (DR. M. VEERAPPA MOILY)
(a): As per the Minutes of the Conference of Chief Ministers of States and Chief Justices of
High Courts held on 16th August 2009, no such instructions were issued by the Chief Justice of
India.
(b): Does not arise.
(c): 55791 cases were pending in the Supreme Court as on 31-12-2009. As per the latest
available reports received from the High Courts, 4047718 cases were pending in the High Courts
and 26701033 cases were pending in the Subordinate Courts.
The following steps have been taken to facilitate speedy disposal of cases in courts:
(1) Increasing the strength of Judges in Supreme Court and the High Courts.
(2) Fast Track Courts were set up to expedite disposal of long pending Sessions
cases and the cases of undertrials prisoners.
(3) The Gram Nyayalayas Act, 2008 has been operationalised w.e.f, 02-10-2009. More than
5000 Gram Nyayalayas are expected to be set up to enhance access to justice at the grass root
level.
(4) Alternative modes of disposal including mediation and conciliation have been encouraged.
(5) Other measures like grouping of cases involving common questions of law, constitution of
specialized benches, setting up of special courts and organizing Lok Adalats at regular intervals
have also been taken.
(6) Steps have also been taken for modernization of the judicial infrastructure through
computerization of courts.
(7) Several reform measures for speeding up the disposal of cases such s operations of
shift courts have been accepted in the recommendations of the 13th Finance Commission to be
implemented by the States.