Kapil Sibal and PM Modi Discuss Challenges in Indian Judiciary at National Conference
New Delhi [India], August 31: Kapil Sibal, President of the Supreme Court Bar Association, expressed concerns about the low judge-to-population ratio in India. He was speaking at the inaugural event of the 2-day National Conference of District Judiciary at Bharat Mandapam, where Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the conference.
On this occasion, PM Modi unveiled a stamp and coin commemorating 75 years of the Supreme Court of India. Sibal highlighted that the judge population ratio is very low in India, and the district and sessions courts are overburdened.
Sibal emphasized the need to empower trial, district, and session courts to deliver justice without fear. He stated, “Our trial court, district and sessions court need to be empowered to deliver justice without fear or fervour… They are not subordinate as they deliver justice. The judiciary at that level should be instilled with the confidence that their judgments will not be held against them and that they represent the spinal cord of the justice delivery system.”
Sibal also mentioned that bail is rarely granted at the lower court level, which burdens higher courts. He stressed that liberty is essential for a thriving democracy and any attempt to restrict it impacts the quality of democracy.
The Supreme Court is organizing a two-day national conference of the district judiciary on August 31 and September 1. The conference will have five working sessions discussing issues related to district judiciary such as infrastructure, human resources, inclusive courtrooms, judicial security, and case management.
Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud were also present at the event.
Doubts Revealed
Kapil Sibal -: Kapil Sibal is a well-known Indian lawyer and politician. He is the President of the Supreme Court Bar Association, which is a group of lawyers who work in the Supreme Court of India.
PM Modi -: PM Modi is short for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He is the current Prime Minister of India, which means he is the head of the government.
Indian Judiciary -: The Indian Judiciary is the system of courts in India that interprets and applies the law. It includes the Supreme Court, High Courts, and lower courts like district and session courts.
National Conference of District Judiciary -: This is a big meeting where judges and other important people talk about how to make the courts better. It focuses on district courts, which are the courts in different parts of India.
Supreme Court Bar Association -: This is a group of lawyers who work in the Supreme Court of India. They help make sure the court runs smoothly and that lawyers have a voice in how things are done.
Judge-to-population ratio -: This means the number of judges compared to the number of people in the country. A low ratio means there are not enough judges to handle all the cases.
Inaugurated -: Inaugurated means to officially start something with a special ceremony. In this case, PM Modi started the National Conference with a special event.
Stamp and coin -: These are special items made to celebrate 75 years of the Supreme Court of India. A stamp is used for mailing letters, and a coin is money.
Trial, district, and session courts -: These are different types of courts in India. Trial courts handle the first hearing of a case, district courts are in different parts of the country, and session courts handle serious criminal cases.
Infrastructure -: Infrastructure means the basic physical and organizational structures needed for a society to work, like buildings, roads, and power supplies. In this context, it means the buildings and facilities needed for courts to work well.
Judicial security -: This means making sure that judges and court staff are safe and protected while they do their jobs.
Case management -: This is the process of organizing and handling court cases so they can be resolved quickly and fairly.
