Union Law Minister wants fast-track disposal of cases more

Union Law and Justice Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad today said that 18,294 cases pending in the Patna High Court and 2.07 lakh cases pending in subordinate courts in Bihar are more than 10 years old.
A total number 1,34,459 cases are pending in the Patna High Court and 18,294 cases out of 1,34,459 cases are more than 10 years old, Prasad said.
Similarly, 2,07,916 cases out of 21,28,325 cases pending in the subordinate courts in Bihar are more than 10 years old, he added.
Prasad said this while addressing a function at the launch of 'Tele Law: Mainstreaming Legal Aid Through Common Service Centre' here.

The 'Tele-Law' scheme is aimed at providing an opportunity to the common man to access legal aid easily with help of technology.
Prasad, who is also an IT minister, asked the Chief Justice and Judges of Patna High Court, "Can we fast-track dispose of cases which are 10 years old?"

"This is what I expect from you (judges)...I am running a campaign across the country for the purpose and Bihar is my own state. It is not a difficult task," he added.
The minister said that he wanted to make a new beginning with the appointment of a facilitation officer (Nyaya Mitra) and the officer would help in fast tracking the disposal of such old cases.

"We want to appoint a facilitation officer (Nyaya Mitra) in those districts where cases are more than 10 years old...The facilitation officer can be a retired judicial officer or a retired bureaucrat but he will not work as a judge or a bureaucrat," Prasad said.