SC launches portal on Pendency of cases:
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Public access portal of National Judicial Data Grid
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e-Court Project
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Will disseminate information- National, State, District, Court-wise information, disposal of cases on monthly basis
National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reforms
The National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reforms (NMJDLF) was initiated with the twin goals of:
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Reducing delays and arrears in judicial the system in order to increase access to courts; and
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Enhancing judicial accountability through structural changes.
It aims to achieves these goals by meeting the following objectives:
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Bringing about policy and legislative changes including policy initiatives to reduce government litigation, introducing amendments to important legislations besides bringing about legal education reforms;
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Addressing the problem of delay by reforming court procedures, promoting ADR method, fast tracking court processes, and the use of information and technology.
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Focussing on human resource development by filling in vacancies, strengthening judicial academies and training of court functionaries.
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Promoting research and studies on judicial reforms.
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Improving the physical infrastructure of district and lower courts besides the creation of special courts including e-courts.
Statistics show that as many as 3.20 crore cases continue to remain pending before various courts. The mission has resulted in marginal reduction in the pendency of cases in subordinate judiciary from 2.70 crore in 2011 to 2.68 crore in 2013. Neither has there been any monumental change in accountability framework. Therefore, the ground reality has not changed by very much – litigants continue to be denied justice.
However, this does not take away from the fact that the reformation of the judicial framework in India is a mammoth exercise, which will not crystallise overnight and in this context, the national mission is a step in the right direction.
What are the goals and objectives of the National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reforms scheme of government of India? Evaluate its performance. (200 Words)
“Access to Justice” Survey
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legal system in India is too expensive to access for most citizens in the country
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90% of the litigants earn less than Rs. 3 lakh per annum and the median expected cost of litigation for this group is around Rs. 16,000
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Though legal aid aims to provide free legal services to the weaker sections who otherwise can’t afford it, the survey found that that just 1% of the respondents make use of this service.
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Accountability of legal aid lawyers towards their clients and lack of communication between the two are serious concerns plaguing the system