JUDICIAL REFORMS
Recognizing that it is the primary duty of the state to preserve the rule of law and provide timely, affordable and substantial justice to all its residents, we commit ourselves to a radical reform of the country’s judicial system within the next five years by adopting the following measures.
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Improving the quality of governance so that the conflicts among the citizens and between the citizens and the state are minimized.
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Promoting alternative mechanisms of dispute redressal, such as negotiation, conciliation, mediation and arbitration, to reduce the incidence of litigation.
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Simplifying the judicial process so that the common man may have direct access to it.
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Raising the strength of the judiciary at all levels and expanding the judicial infrastructure to ensure expeditious disposal of cases.
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Investing in the development of human resources, management and technology to improve the efficiency of the judicial system.
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Instituting proper systems of accountability and transparency to eradicate corruption in the judiciary.
The process of judicial reform will entail significant changes at the institutional level. Gram Nyayalyas will have to be established in every block of the country so that the common man may have direct access to justice, untrammelled by formal procedures.
The budget for the administration of justice will be augmented as required and the judiciary will be given financial autonomy in its deployment.
An all India Judicial Service, to which recruitment will be made through the Union Public Service Commission, will be created to ensure minimum standards of quality of the judges at the district level.
In view of the inadequacies of the in-house mechanisms for appointment of judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts and for dealing with complaints of judicial misconduct by them, the critical functions of selection and discipline in respect of the members of the higher judiciary will be entrusted to independent constitutional bodies.”
