Shortage of public prosecutors, delay in lab reports impediments: Judges

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 13

District and sessions judges from Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh on Sunday claimed shortage of public prosecutors and delay in receipt of reports from the forensic science laboratories were the main impediments in expeditious disposal of criminal cases.

To expedite the disposal of long-pending matters, execution pleas, cases of heinous crime against women and children, cases involving senior citizens and other categories, the Punjab and Haryana High Court judges discussed action plans with the district and sessions judges and other judicial officers. The aim was to sensitise them to the need to take effective steps to ensure expeditious disposal of old cases, particularly executions. Among other things, they were asked to give personal attention to all such cases.

The meeting with district judges, family court judges and presiding officers of labour courts was held at the Chandigarh Judicial Academy under the chairmanship of Punjab and Haryana High Court Acting Chief Justice Ajay Kumar Mittal. Addressing the gathering, he impressed upon the judicial officers to work tirelessly with dedication, honesty and sincerity and to live up to the expectations of the society at large.

Justice Rajesh Bindal, chairman, State Court Management Systems Committee, interacted with the officers regarding ongoing projects of computerisation in the district and subordinate courts in the states of Punjab and Haryana and Chandigarh and impressed upon them to make optimum use of information and communication technology in providing services to the litigants.

Justice TPS Mann, Justice Augustine George Masih, Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia, Justice Rekha Mittal, Justice Surinder Gupta, Justice Amit Rawal, Justice Anupinder Singh Grewal, Justice Ramendra Jain, Justice Raj Shekhar Attri, Justice Gurvinder Singh Gill, Justice Arvind Singh Sangwan, Justice Anil Kshetarpal, Justice Avneesh Jhingan, Justice Mahabir Singh Sindhu and Justice Sudhir Mittal also actively participated in the discussion.

Taking further the Central initiative to avoid use of plastic water bottles during official meetings, seminars, conferences and workshop, the High Court also issued instructions to dispense with the use of these. The instructions were strictly followed during the meeting.