Tech can help reduce case pendency in courts, make justice process easily accessible: Rijiju

Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday highlighted that about five crore cases are pending in courts and said technology can play an important role in not only reducing pendency, but also making the process of delivery of justice easily accessible to people.

He also highlighted that after the completion of the third phase of the e-Courts project, the time would not be far when all courts in the country will become totally paperless.

"It pains me to see about five crore cases still pending for their final disposal. We can use technology as a solution to reduce pendency of cases in our courts," the minister said at the release of the first edition of the Dogri version of the Constitution of India at the University of Jammu.

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Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court Chief Justice Kotishwar Singh, senior judges of the high court, Jammu University Vice Chancellor Umesh Rai, Law Secretary Achal Sethi and Jammu Deputy Commissioner Avny Lavasa were among those who attended the function.

Regarding developments in making the process of justice delivery easy and affordable, Rijiju said the government is digitising about 65,000 words of the legal glossary to frame a core vocabulary for the understanding of all citizens.

The law minister said that "Rs 9,000 crore for upgradation of infrastructure at the lower judiciary and Rs 7,000 crore for the e-Courts project is aimed at making the process of delivery of justice easily accessible and freely available".

The e-Court project has immensely helped in the working of courts during the Covid pandemic and the time is not far when all courts would become totally paperless after completion of the third phase of the project, Rijiju said.

Terming the Dogri translation of the Constitution a "very significant" development towards dispensation of justice to the people, the minister said understanding the law is essential in accessing justice by a common person and it cannot be done better than having it codified in one's mother tongue.

He said that "although the task has been accomplished a bit late after enshrining the Dogri language in the 8th schedule of the Constitution back in 2003 but the cause of furthering its impact among the people should not be delayed any further".

The minister also praised the university for providing necessary support for the translation of the Constitution in the Dogri language.

"Technology can come to our rescue to even extend the benches of the Supreme Court, high courts or even lower courts beyond the four walls of their complexes," he said.

Rijiju also highlighted the work done by young lawyers who contributed to furthering the agenda of the National Legal Services Authority in providing justice to people at no cost.

He pointed out that senior lawyers should also extend pro bono services for the larger good.