SC judge says more rural courts needed but stresses on their accountability

A Supreme Court judge Saturday pitched for setting up more rural courts in the country but indicated the need to bring more accountability in their functioning.

Justices Madan B Lokur, who also heads the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), said Saturday there was a need to set up more 'Gram Nyayalayas'. He said they will help achieve the objective of justice reaching every corner of the country.

"There is already a law on Gram Nyayalayas and a few are working also. But there is no fair idea about their effectiveness and how much and what kind of cases they are dealing with," he said.

Addressing an event of NALSA, he pointed out that in one such court, nearly 2,000 cases were pending.

Justice Lokur retires on December 30.

Speaking at the event, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said lawyers empanelled with the Authority should take up more cases related to children, bonded labourers, women and those under trial prisoners who have spent in jail more than half of the sentence period for the crime they have been accused off. "They are entitled for bail. Help them," he said.