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Information boards for clueless litigants,coloured files to alert judges on how old a case is,to screens that will separate rape victims from their tormentors Delhis trial courts are set to refashion the way they work. In a two-part series,Newsline looks at proposed reforms awaiting judicial nod
The world inside courts will see better days. In the offing are 166 recommendations drawn up in a judicial conference last November that promise visits to court kachehri will be less of a headache. A team of 10 district court judges,constituted by the High Court,are at present sifting through the proposed reforms to chalk out the right strategy for their implementation in the Capitals various trial courts.
These proposals,lucidly drafted,take into account all judicial,administrative,infrastructural and procedural issues,that have been waiting long for redressal:
In store for litigants and witnesses
In court,litigants have a tough time finding their way. Measures dictate that a full-sized information board with all necessary particulars the location of courts,procedures to be followed and officers to be contacted be placed at a prominent place in all five trial courts in Delhi. The instructions will be in English and in Hindi.
The court staff will be warned not to bother them and also behave in a proper manner,failing which they would invite penalty. To make access easier,information desks at a centralised location in the building are being planned. Data will be available at the push of a button.
The courts also have in mind senior citizens and the physically disabled. There will be wheelchairs now and all motor accidents tribunals that involve disabled litigants are to be held on the ground floors. Moreover,cases of senior citizens,women and those on child custody will be handled on a preferential basis.
In order to maintain secrecy in matrimonial cases,the trials,according to the proposal,should be conducted in-camera. Psychologists will be around to give mental support and also counsel warring couples.
Till now,litigants have been oblivious of what stenographers were punching on their keyboards during trial. Change will be in the form of screens attached to computers,which will continue to flash the contents of the proceedings for better transparency. Litigants can either nod in agreement to what is being recorded or even raise objections.
Sensitive witnesses
In one of the most significant directives,the courts have been asked to make provisions for a special screen during hearings of rape cases so that the victim is not forced to confront the accused directly. The move intends to remove the prospect of fear and trauma a rape victim might feel once face to face with the accused.
Infrastructure
The courtrooms will be made more spacious. The size of the judges podium will be reduced to make way for better seating of witnesses and lawyers. The reforms also talk of proper security for witnesses. There will be waiting rooms for witnesses to sensitive cases,so that they are not exposed to the accused at a premature stage.
The circular on the proposal further reads: Public witnesses should not be sent unexamined and special attention be given to child and other physically challenged witnesses. Witnesses would also be appropriately informed about the diet money that is to be paid to them when they come to testify.
These measures,sources said,will be implemented gradually. If put into practice,the much-maligned witness-protection system will certainly be more fortified. Litigants can also look forward to less apathy.
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