Not judges but system at fault, taking steps to improve it, says Rijiju

Voicing concern over the rising pendency of cases, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday said it is "not the fault of the judge but of the system", and the government is taking more steps to address the issue.

We are moving towards the kind of system that should be there in the country, he said while highlighting efforts to repeal redundant and obsolete laws, improve the infrastructure of courts and equip them with technology.

The minister was speaking at a conference on 'Sustainable Development in India: Evolution and Legal Perspective' organised by the Law Commission of India at Mohanlal Sukhadia University in Udaipur.

The minister said the number of pending cases has crossed 4.90 crore.

It is not a good thing to have so many cases pending in any country or society. It has several reasons... the condition of judges is also bad. One judge handles 50-60 cases in a single day. They dispose of so many cases but the number which comes daily is double.

"The common man asks why the pendency is so high, but it is not known to people how much a judge works. It is not the fault of the judge, but of the system, Rijiju said.

He said that a major solution for reducing pendency is "technology" and the courts are being equipped with technologies across the country in order to make them paperless.

We are halfway there. Now we are giving the final shape to it. High courts, lower courts, and tribunals are being well-equipped with technologies.

"It was just because of the success of e-courts phase-II that hearings were conducted through video conference during the Covid pandemic, the minister said.

He said that several high courts have done a good job of conducting hearings through video conferencing.

There are several ways to reduce the pendency. The biggest one is technology. The ministry is doing several things and "in the days to come, we are going to take a few other steps, he said.

He said that work is going on to make the judiciary paperless, which is also important from an environmental point of view. Everything has to be digital, he added.

Talking about sustainable development, he stressed the need for balance in economic growth and the environment.

The way we are living our lives has become a threat to our existence. The quest of achieving economic growth and the haphazard things that are happening around us is threatening. We have a moral obligation and duty to do justice to planet earth, he said.

He also said that India is a global leader in the green energy field. "The world today realises that the vision of PM Narendra Modi is the best suitable vision for the world," he said.