(a) whether there is a provision under which Law Suits involving senior citizens are
eligible to get priority in disposal of their cases by the Lower and High Courts;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) the total number of Law Suits relating to senior citizens pending in various High Courts
in the country; and
(d) the steps taken by the Government in this regard?
MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE (DR. M.VEERAPPA MOILY)
(a) to (d): Government of India has adopted the National Policy for older persons to protect
their interests. In this context, Shri A.S.Anand, the then Chief Justice of India had during
the year 1999, requested the Chief Justices of High Courts to evolve a system which may ensure
timely disposal of the matters of older persons pending in the courts and requested all the
High Courts to indentify and dispose of matters in which persons above 65 years of age are
involved, on priority basis.
Government is also committed to continued implementation of the National Policy for Older
Persons. In this context, all the State Governments were requested to make the following
arrangements in consultation with the respective High Courts:
(i) Wherever there are more than one Fast Track Court (FTC), one of them may be earmarked
to deal exclusively with cases involving senior citizens;
(ii) Wherever there is only one FTC, instructions may be issued to that court to deal
with all cases involving senior citizens on priority;
(iii) All pending sessions cases involving senior citizens regardless of the period
of pendency may be transferred to the nearest FTC for disposal;
iv) All civil matters involving property, inheritance, recovery of money, service
matters and pension as well as rent and tenancy matters involving senior citizens
and pending with District Judge may also be transferred to the FTC earmarked for
senior citizens.
Information on the number of law suits relating to senior citizens pending for disposal
in the High Courts is not maintained in the Department of Justice. However, Registrar
Generals of all the High Courts have been requested to give continued emphasis to cases
involving senior citizens in High Courts as well as the courts subordinate to the High Courts.