'Scientific developments new challenges in delivering justice'

Rapid scientific developments have brought many changes and in the present scenario, criminal justice system also requires appropriate changes at all levels right from the police to judicial officials, Supreme Court Justice B S Chauhan said today.
Inaugurating a 3-day regional judicial conference on Administration of Criminal Justice organised by Himachal Pradesh Judicial Academy in collaboration with National Judicial Academy, Bhopal, Justice Chauhan said, "New issues like live-in relationship and false promises of marriages have come up in the society and courts have to be sensitive in finding out the right causes of such incidents and judicial officials should go into the depths to know the facts."

Justice Chauhan called on judicial officials to adopt innovative means to deal with situations that arise from time to time while delivering orders.
HP High Court Chief Justice A M Khanwilkar said, "Criminal justice depends on chain of benefactors from police, forensic experts, advocates, public prosecutors and witnesses. Each of these benefactors is important and every part of the chain has to be improved and strengthened."
"It is like a house built with a pack of cards. Inaction or act of commission or omission, even by one of these benefactors, inevitably results in subversion of justice," he said adding, it was important to delineate the protocols and best practices observed by each of these benefactors.

The Chief Justice said, "All functionaries involved in the criminal justice deliverance should be provided with adequate staff and equipment so as to speed up the process," and reminded that in cases concerning women and children, lack of sensitivity is another significant challenge in administration of criminal justice system.