Highlighting the delay in Justice, The President used this term to describe anxiety experienced by ordinary citizens in court settings.
- Term is analogous to the “White Coat Hypertension” i.e. increase in people’s blood pressure in the hospital.
Reasons for such perception
- High pendency: As of August 31, 82,887 cases are pending in SC (National Judicial Data Grid).
- Additionally, delays in deciding serious crimes like rape leads to public perception of insensitivity in the judicial system.
- Frequent adjournments: It causes great mental and financial pressure specially for people traveling from villages to courts.
- Issues with district judiciary: For instance, only 6.7% of court infrastructure at the district level is female friendly.
- District-level courts significantly shape the public’s perception of the judiciary.
Steps taken to address these issues
- Speed up efforts to modernise judiciary: through initiatives like e-Courts Integrated Mission Mode Project, Tele-Law programme,etc.
- Alternate modes of resolution: like pre-litigation dispute resolution such as Lok Adalat.
- Addressing infrastructure gaps: through scheme like Centrally Sponsored Scheme for Judicial Infrastructure.
- Reforming laws to reduce pendency: For Instance, SC recently applied Section 479 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita retrospectively to first-time offenders, making bail accessible to undertrials.
- Institutionalisation of pro bono culture (i.e. free services): through initiatives like Nyaya Bandhu programme.
