Chief Justice underscores need for family courts,inaugurates Capital’s first

“I had appealed to all chief ministers to constitute family courts and I am also planning to write to the Prime Minister,” he said. When Newsline asked what delayed the inauguration of the family court in Delhi even as over 60 such courts had already been functioning in other states,Justice Balakrishnan cited lack of concerted effort and seriousness on the part of the actors involved in the process.

“There were some administrative hitches and reluctance by the governmental authorities,though not deliberate,that caused the hold-up,” he said.

Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court A P Shah,who said that the Capital will have all the 15 family courts as sanctioned by the NCT Government ready by July 2010,was also present.

“There are 20,925 cases of family and marital disputes pending across the various city courts. We need at least 35 family courts. We will certainly take up the matter with the authorities,” he said.

Justices Mukul Mudgal,Madan B Lokur,Pradeep Nandrajog along with the Dwarka courts’ District Judge I S Mehta also attended the function.

Child-friendly ambience:
At a family court,disputes are sorted with the help of a judicial officer,a psychologist and a counsellor. A lawyer can also be done away with. The atmosphere has to be kept congenial,sympathetic and supportive,for the goal of family courts would be conciliation between estranged family members,not confrontation.

The children’s room at the Dwarka Courts is brightly coloured with small tables and chairs shaped like fruits,a carrom board,Scrabble and other educational games and a TV set meant for watching cartoons to keep a child away from the psychological fear accruing to direct exposure to the intimidating facet of litigation.