'Courts must be fora for the poor'

Delivering the Prof A Lakshmisagar Memorial Lecture on “Social Justice under the Constitution, the Changing Scenario”, Moily said the concept of social justice should not be
treated as charity but as a linkage between law and society.

“Social justice should become the signature tune of the Constitution,” Moily said. Quoting the famous judge P N Bhagwati, he said courts should take up the cause of the voiceless people “as they do not have a tomorrow to spare...all they have is the present.”

He said his ministry is on a mission to create a legal system that ensures that no case is pending for more than three years. The mission would be completed in four years and large budget allocations had been earmarked to help courts achieve the goal that was discussed at length at the recent national conference of the judicial community including members of the Bench and Bar.

Moily said that the mindset of the people should be changed towards the concept of social justice aimed at creating opportunities, enhance capabilities to access opportunities and provide security.

Extolling the efforts of Prof A Lakshmisagar in the field of social justice on Teacher’s Day, he said: “Prof was a great minister, parliamentarian and legislature. He works in the field of social justice are treated as milestones.”

Prof Ravivarma Kumar, senior advocate said untouchability was the biggest social injustice. “Instead of eradicating untouchability, the system has eradicated untouchables from society,” he said. According to the 2001 census, there are 29,000 villages in Karnataka and 6,50,000 villages in India where untouchability is still practiced, Ravivarma Kumar said, urging the Union Law Minister to set up a special attorney general to take up social justice cases.