Andhra Pradesh

‘People losing confidence in judiciary’

Sage advice: Andhra Pradesh Chief Justice G.S.Singhvi addressing judicial officers and advocates at the inauguration of a four court building complex in Machilipatnam on Saturday.

MACHILIPATNAM: Unless judicial officers and advocates of the courts at the grassroots made concerted efforts to resort the fast sinking confidence of the common man in the judiciary, there was a danger of the entire system failing, said Andhra Pradesh Chief Justice G.S. Singhvi here on Saturday.

Addressing a gathering after inaugurating a building complex of four courts in the compound of the District Court, Justice Singhvi cautioned the judicial fraternity that the alarm bells were already ringing.

Pointing to the way people behaved when the West Bengal Government tried to use the Land Acquisition Act to acquire land for an industry, Justice Singhvi said many felt that the people had taken law into their hands, but the people themselves felt that “law had failed them”.

The courts at the grassroots played a more vital role in upholding the confidence of the common man in the judicial system compared to the apex courts. Only two out of every 100 cases move till the High Court stage.

People were not ready to wait any more. They might wait a while with regard to civil cases, but none was ready to wait in criminal cases. There was little point in a person being acquitted after being kept in prison for four years. No amount of money could compensate his loss. On the other side of the coin, persons were getting away with mass murders. Criminals were managing to get bail instantly and roam around freely. The trails drag on for years and witnesses turn hostile one after another and after six years the criminal would be acquitted.

A person responsible for the death of 59 people gets the benefit of doubt and a light sentence of 10 years and other convicted of killing seven gets a sentence of 3 or 6 months. “What impact will this have on society?” Justice Singhvi asked.

He said 97 per cent of High Court judges who answered a questionnaire said they would not go either to the police or a magistrate if their daughter was molested. But common man still had faith in the courts, as they were his last resort, he said.

The High Court had decided to provide better infrastructure in the courts. Arrangements were being made to provide pure drinking water, toilet facilities and computers shortly. Sulabh International had come forward to proved toilets in all courts in the State.

Krishna portfolio judge B. Prakash Rao, District and Sessions Judge S. Ravi Kumar and Machilipatnam Bar Association president L. Balaji spoke.

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