Next five years will be era of judicial reforms: Moily

Congress veteran M Veerappa Moily who took over as Union Minister of Law and Justice today asserted that the next five years will be the era of judicial reforms.

"The next five years will be the era of judicial reforms...We have to ensure that the rule of law is for every individual...The 'aam admi'," he told reporters after assuming office here.

Maintaining that the Ministry will have to address a number of "imminent and immediate" problems, Moily said a 100- day programme of the Law and Justice ministry will be prepared in the next one week.

When asked about his priorities as minister, he said "though it is too early to draw priorities, judicial reforms will top his list".

"Judicial reforms can't be partial or fragmented. We need holistic reforms," he said.

Moily said if the police investigation system is strengthened, the load on the judiciary will decrease.

"To provide police stations with equipment like mobile forensic labs we do not need constitutional amendments," he added.

He said the Centre and the state governments were the biggest litigants in courts, which has led to backlog of cases.

"We have to see how we can reduce (the number of cases) on our part," Moily added.

Systematic reforms within and outside the judiciary were required to make the system work efficiently, he said adding that the country had the best judicial system in the world.

To a question on charges of corruption against Kolkata High Court judge Soumitra Sen, Moily said the matter (of his impeachment) was pending in the Rajya Sabha. "Everyone corrupt needs to be punished at the earliest," he added.

On the issue of disclosure of property by the judiciary, he said if necessary a law could be made taking the judiciary into confidence.

The former Karnataka Chief Minister said, "while the challenges are plenty, solutions are simple...You do not need constitutional amendments to make corrections".