Modi raises pendency issue,asks courts to highlight oldest cases

He sought suggestions on making bar, bench and courts tech-savvy by injecting digital technology in their functioning

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday mooted a novel idea of courts coming out with an annual bulletin to highlight the oldest cases being tried by them to help create sensitivity on pendency of cases in the country.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of centenary celebrations of Patna High Court, he also sought suggestions on making the bar, bench and courts tech-savvy by injecting digital technology in their functioning.

"I have to make a suggestion on an idea I just thought about and that is can our courts every year bring out a bulletin that highlights the oldest cases pending before them. Some may be 40 years or 50 years old and that could create sensitivity among people on the pendency of cases in the court.

"This would inspire others to do something about the pendency. It is not wrong to do so. This could help create an atmosphere to come out of the problem of pendency of case," he said addressing the gathering.

Talking about advent of technology in all spheres, the Prime Minister said that earlier, a lot of time was spent on doing research in legal field whereas now one can google anything in a short time.

"Now we have something that we did not have earlier - the power of technology. How much techno-savvy can we make the bar, the bench and the courts by injecting digital technology in their functioning and help work towards improving the quality of judgments and arguments by using technology actively," he said.

Modi shared the stage with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, with whom he had traded barbs during the assembly polls last year.

The PM said the Patna High Court has in the last 100 years scaled new heights.

"I hope the best aspects are carried forward in the years to come. Though it is time to remember the good things of this High Court in the last century, it is also time to lay a strong foundation for the coming century.

"This is also a time for new resolves and to think of new benchmarks and I hope the Bar and the Bench works towards setting new benchmarks to take this institution forward. Those who have a century of heritage can surely give a lot to take the country forward," he said.

Wishing the institution on the occasion, the Prime Minister hoped the country will get a lot from the High Court in the coming time.

Recalling his visit to a village school in Gujarat that was 120 years old but where literacy level was still very low at 30-32%, he said if the systems evolved are not dynamic and progressive, "we would not be able to move with time and fulfill the aspirations of people".

Modi also recalled the important role played by legal luminaries in the freedom struggle and narrated an incident during his visit to London where he was "gifted" with the return of membership of a noted lawyer in the 1930s who was stripped of it by the Bar there for participating in the independence movement.

Chief Justice of India T S Thakur, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Union Law minister D V Sadanand Gowda and Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind were present on the occasion.

President Pranab Mukherjee had inaugurated the centenary celebration of the Patna High Court on March 18 last year.

Chief Justice of India T S Thakur highlighted large vacancy of judges in courts which was posing a problem in meeting the challenges of fast increasing number of cases in courts due to soaring population.

"In the last count there are 468 judges in the country against a total strength of 900. This mean the courts in the country are running only on half of its strength," Thakur said.