'Do not hamper court work'

Courts are the temples of justice and their working should not be hampered at any cost, Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul said here Saturday.

The advocates are expected to extend their support in this endeavour, Kaul said in his address after laying the foundation stone of the Tower of Justice new judicial complex here.

It would be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs.113 crore. The complex will include a district alternative dispute resolution (ADR) centre and lawyers' chambers.

Kaul said the judicial complex will have ultra modern facilities.

He added that efforts are being made to provide best facilities to advocates so that they get appropriate place to sit with their clients in the court premises.

He said the ultimate objective was to give speedy and inexpensive justice to all and efforts were being made to reduce the number of pending cases in the courts.

This is possible only when the advocates cooperate. During the last one year, about 50,000 pending cases have been decided in courts of Punjab and Haryana, he said.

Kaul appreciated the efforts of the Haryana State Legal Services Authority and said the advocates should also contribute to the efforts of the authority.

He said an advocate should provide free services for at least one case every month.