SUBORDINATE COURTS
- The structure and functions of subordinate courts are more or less uniform throughout the country.
- These courts follow two important codes prescribing procedures, ie., Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 and Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and further strengthened by state level amendments.
- As per direction of Supreme Court, a uniform designation has been brought about in the subordinate judiciary’s judicial officers all over the country, viz.,
- District or Additional District Judge, Civil Judge (Senior Division) and Civil Judge (junior Division) on the civil side
- on criminal side, Sessions Judge, Additional Sessions Judge, Chief Judicial Magistrate and Judicial Magistrate, etc.
- Under Article 235 of the Constitution of India, the administrative control over the members of subordinate judicial service vests with the concerned High Court.
LEGAL REFORMS
- The National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reforms was set up in August, 2011 to achieve twin goals of increasing access by reducing delays and enhancing accountability through structural changes.
- The Mission is pursuing five strategic initiatives: (i) outlining policy and legislative changes (ii) re-engineering of procedures and court processes (iii) focussing on human resource development (iv) leveraging information and communication technology and tools for better justice delivery and (v) improving infrastructure.
- A comprehensive scheme of National Court Management Systems (NCMS) has been formulated and notified by the Supreme Court of India.
- Under the NCMS, a National Framework of Court Excellence (NFCE) has been prepared, which shall set measurable standards of performance for courts ad dressing the issues of quality, responsiveness and timeliness.
- A pendency reduction drive was launched from July 2011 to December, 2011.
- Overall pendency of civil and criminal cases in subordinate courts has come down to 2,68,51,755 as in March, 2012.
- The Gram Nyayalayas Act, 2008 was enacted for establishment of Gram Nyayalayas at the intermediate panchayat level with a view to providing access to justice to citizens at their doorsteps.
- The Act had come into force from October, 2009.
- It is for the state governments to establish Gram Nyayalayas in consultation with the respective high courts.
- 172 Gram Nyayalayas have been notified by various state governments out of them 152 have become operational.
- The Government of India augments resources of the state governments through a centrally sponsored scheme, Development of Infrastructure Facilities For Subordinate Judiciary since 1993-94.
E-COURTS INTEGRATED MISSION MODE PROJECT
- The e-Courts Integrated Mission Mode Project (e-Courts IMMP) is one of the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) projects, which is being implemented for the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) enablement/ computerisation of the Supreme Court, high courts and district and subordinate courts in the country.
- Phase I (computerisation of 12,000 courts) and Phase II (computerisation of 14,249 courts) of the e-Courts Project were conceptualized on the basis of ‘The National Policy and Action Plan for Implementation of ICT in the Indian Judiciary’ (Action Plan), which was prepared by the e—Committee of Supreme Court of India in 2005.
- At the state level, high courts are overseeing the project implementation at the district/ subordinate courts.
- Out of 14,249 courts, 12,241 courts have been computerized as on May 2013.
- Significant outcome of the e-Courts Project would be the establishment of National Judicial Data Grid (NIDG).
- The NJDG will make available information on real time basis on the pendency of cases in each court, along with their reasons.
- With the objective of improving justice delivery, 13th Finance Commission (FC-XIII) has recommended a grant of 5000 crore over its award period 2010-15.
