President Kovind urges judiciary to translate judgments into regional languages

President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday urged the judiciary to develop a mechanism to provide translated judgments in regional languages apart from the English language.

Addressing the valedictory function of the diamond jubilee celebrations of High Court of Kerala, President Kovind said: "It is important to not only take justice to the people, but also to make it understandable to litigating parties in a language they know. High Courts deliver judgments in English, but we are a country of diverse languages. The litigant may not be conversant in English and the finer points of the judgment may escape him or her. Perhaps, a system could be evolved whereby certified translated copies of judgments are made available by the Honourable High Courts in the local or regional language."

"This could happen in a period of say 24 or 36 hours after the judgement is pronounced," he added.

President Kovind, however, said that it was his suggestion and it was for the judiciary and the legal fraternity to discuss this and decide as appropriate.

The President also raised the issue of delayed justice at various courts.

"Delay in justice delivery is a pressing concern in our country. Often those who suffer are among the poorest and most underprivileged in our society. We must find mechanisms to ensure quick disposal of cases. We could all consider an approach that makes adjournments the exception in an emergency situation rather than a tactic to prolong court proceedings," Kovind said.

The President also hailed the Indian judiciary as one of India's most valued and respected institutions.

"The judiciary is one of India's most valued and respected institutions. Its fearless and independent functioning and stature has enhanced India's credibility in the democratic world. Every Indian is proud of the judiciary and respects its verdicts and its commitment to the values that embody our nationhood," Kovind asserted.

He further added that the India's legal system is an essential part of nation building process.

"Our legal system, with an independent judiciary as its bedrock, is an essential part of our nation building process. It acts as a corrective and it upholds the sanctity of the law and of natural justice. And it functions as the guardian of the ethical principles underlying the Constitution. This makes everybody connected with the process of justice delivery a nation builder," the President said.

He also praised the Kerala High Court's sensitivity to people's rights and civil liberties.

"The Kerala High Court is known for sensitivity to people's rights and civil liberties. The judgments of this High Court have contributed to deepening the traditions of democracy and civic freedom in our country. This High Court is a pioneer in supporting environmental and ecological norms and standards. It has given important verdicts, including on the right of the people for clean air; the right of the people for clean water; the right of the people for healthy surroundings; assigning the supply of safe drinking water to citizens in adequate quantity as the primary constitutional responsibility of the state and banning of smoking in public places."

Chief Justice of India Deepak Misra, Union Minister for Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court Naviniti Prasad Singh, and Kerala Governor P. Sathasivam also spoke.