466 Years needed - to clear pending court cases !

INDIAN JUSTICE SYSTEM AT WORK...OR IS IT NON JUSTICE SYSTEM.?

Criminal case pending? Wait for 466 years...

New Delhi (IANS): It will take 466 years to dispose all the criminal cases pending before the Delhi High Court if the present rate of disposal continues, according to a statistical analysis in the court's annual report.

On March 31, 2008 there were 2,324 criminal appeals pending before the division benches, from which 214 appeals were disposed of, says the annual report for 2007-08, released on Tuesday.

"Whether it is acceptable or not, the statistical observation at the present rate of disposal, assuming the filing of new cases to be the same, it would take the court approximately 466 years to wipe out the pendency of the 2,324 appeals.

"Since the assumption of a constant number of filings is patently unrealistic, the time taken to clear pendency would be even more that 466 years, if ever," says the report.

Amongst 2,324 criminal appeals three were waiting for justice since 20 years.

According to the report, amongst the pending criminal appeals 34 cases were more than 15 years old and three of them are 20 years old.

A startling revelation was that more than half of the pending appeals were over five years old.

To clear up the pending cases, the arrears committee suggested that there should be three division benches to hear criminal appeals instead of two as at present and cases should be heard on day-to-day basis.

It is also recommended that every month one Saturday be designated for hearing old criminal appeals.

The committee also suggested that realistic costs should be imposed to prevent frivolous litigation.