'Gang-rape case hastened introspection of judicial system'

The outrage following Delhi gangrape case has hastened the process of introspection over justice delivery system, Law Minister Ashwani Kumar said on Saturday, while cautioning that a perception of legislations being "impotent" erodes people's faith in the rule of law.

"Tragic events in the recent past that have shaken national sensitivity and has shocked the national conscience have indeed hastened the process of introspection," Law Minister Ashwani Kumar said.

He said besides those who committed the crime, the public outrage after the tragedy was also against the perceived inadequacies in way procedural laws are administered.

"...laws perceived as impotent in the face of rage leave an unacceptable erosion of people's faith in justice delivery system and the rule of law itself," he said.

Kumar was addressing a seminar on judicial reforms in the presence of President Pranab Mukherjee and senior judges of the Supreme Court and high courts.

He said the ongoing structural procedural changes are aimed at ensuring a credible, responsible and a citizen-friendly judicial process so that the people may have a full faith in the justice delivery system.

"It should be our endeavour to ensure that law works for everyone and the vast majority is not deprived of the protective shelter of the law," he said.

The minister said the judicial system was under "strain" due to backlog of cases and suggested an improved infrastructure and nourished legal fraternity for a robust judicial system would help overcome the problem.

He also said the Gram Nyayalaya Act which proposes to set up courts in rural areas to deliver justice at the doorsteps of the common man and establishment of model courts would help bring down the number of pending cases.

Over three crore cases are pending in the 21 high courts and subordinate courts across the country. The Supreme Court is saddled with 66,000 pending cases.