Thread by @LawBeatInd

Taking cue from an earlier speech on the need for Indianisation of the Indian Legal System as it suffers from colonially, CJI NV Ramana today said that our legal system fails to take into consideration the social realities and implications which are a harsh reality.

The Indian Judicial system is faced with twin challenges. Even after 74 years of independence, traditional and agrarian societies which have been following customary ways of life, still feel hesitant to approach the courts: #CJI NV Ramana

The practices, procedures, language and everything of our Courts feels alien to people of India. Between the complex language of the acts and the process of justice delivery, the common man seems to lose control over the fate of his grievance: #CJI

Sadly, our system is designed in such a way that by the time all the facts and law are churned in the court of law, much gets lost in the process. People might be bringing their problems to the courts, but what remains at the end of a day is yet another “case”: #CJI

The general belief is that it is the courts which are capable of addressing these concerns. But the stark reality is that unless the legal framework is drastically altered to make the justice delivery mechanism people friendly, we will not be able to achieve this goal: #CJI

It is general understanding of the people that it is the court’s responsibility to make laws. This notion has to be dispelled. This is where the role of other organs of the state, i.e. the Legislature and the Executive assumes great significance: #CJI

The Legislature needs to revisit the laws and reform them to suit the needs of time and people. I emphasize, our laws must match with our practical realities. The executive has to match these efforts by way of simplifying the corresponding rules: #CJI

Most importantly, the Executive and the Legislature should function in unison in realising the Constitutional aspirations: #CJI

It is only then, that the Judiciary would not be compelled to step in as a law-maker and would only be left with the duty of applying and interpreting the same: #CJI

The concept of ‘Access to Justice’ in India is much broader than simply providing lawyers for representation before the courts. In India, the task to facilitate access to justice to the poor and marginalized has been conferred upon the Legal Services Institutions: #CJI

We understand people need amelioration of their issues and grievances. Be it a matter of compensation or eviction or a customary issue of marriage and inheritance, a common man needs a faster remedy: #CJI

If we want to retain the faith of our people, we need to strengthen not only the judicial infrastructure, but we also need to boost our outreach programs as well: #CJI

Considering the gravity of the challenge, we have decided to launch a country-wide robust legal awareness mission in the upcoming week. I expect your cooperation and support to take this effort into the remotest corner: #CJI

I am told that people of this State fondly remember my Brother Justice Vineet Saran as their Chief. He was actively involved in the legal services movement in Odisha. It was during his tenure that steps were initiated regarding this building project: #CJI

The power and strength of any justice-delivery system is derived from the faith of the people in it. The Bar and Bench need to work in conjunction to affirm the faith that a citizen has in the justice delivery system. We are mere custodians : #CJI

CJI Quotes Utkala Mani Gopa Bandhu Das
"Life of a man is not counted in terms of the time that the spent on earth. But the number of good deeds he undertook in his lifetime. KARMA is the only law of life.

I would like to congratulate the Chief Justice of Odisha High Court, Justice S. Muralidhar, Patron-in-Chief of SLSA. Justice Muralidhar has always championed the cause of the marginalised and under-privileged: #CJI