District, taluk courts need hybrid hearing facility: Justice Oka

Supreme Court judge Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka on Saturday said that infrastructure upgradation at district and taluk courts can help dispose five-year-old cases as well as helping poor litigants in the state.

Speaking at the felicitation ceremony organised by the Advocates Association of Bangalore, Justice Oka said that if the fresh guidelines for the disposal of old cases are strictly adhered to, then the aim to make Karnataka arrears-free can be achieved by June 2022.

“During the pandemic the worst-suffered was the common man. Large number of litigants, who do not have high-stake cases, come to the court for a simple relief like maintenance or a small share in agriculture land. This class of litigants, for which really the judiciary exists, has suffered the most in the pandemic and therefore now our first priority should be to give justice to this class of litigants waiting for justice for a long time,” he said.

Referring to the increasing number of cases being filed in family courts in Bengaluru, Justice Oka said that the city needs an ultra modern family court complex, on the lines of Saketh in Delhi. He called upon Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to consider the requirement of hybrid video conferencing in district and taluk courts.

“I am saying this in presence of the honourable chief minister that if we are able to provide hybrid system enabled video conferencing in each court in Karnataka, the state will be the best in terms of judicial infrastructure,” Justice Oka said.

Justice B V Nagarathna thanked the members of the bar for shaping her career as an advocate as well as a judge. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and judges of the High Court were present at the ceremony held at Vidhana Soudha.