JOIN USThe Union Cabinet on Thursday gave the Law Ministry a go-ahead to implement the National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reforms. The scheme is likely to cost Rs 5,510 crore in the next five years.
“The objective of the mission is to increase access to justice by reducing delays and arrears in the system and enhance accountability through structural changes and by setting performance standards. The objectives are to be achieved in a time bound manner by 2015-16 through a mission mode approach,” according to a statement.
A conference of chief ministers and chief justices, held on August 16, 2009, described the huge arrears and backlog of cases as the “scourge” of the Indian legal system. Later, a vision plan was prepared to reduce the pendency of cases from 15 years to 3 years.
The mission will have a mission directorate, an advisory council and a governing council for overseeing its implementation.
Among the measures to be undertaken are the policy and legislative changes, re-engineering of procedures, human resource development, leveraging Information and Communication Technology and to improve the physical infrastructure of subordinate courts.