Evening courts to start hearing cases from February

After the six evening courts proved a success at the Patiala House courts and the Karkardooma district courts,the Delhi High Court has decided to extend the concept to the remaining three district courts in the Capital. February 2 onwards,evening courts will become functional in 12 more magisterial courts – four each at the Rohini,Tees Hazari,and Dwarka district court complexes to reduce the overload of pending cases on dishonoured cheques.

Similar to the existing evening courts,the 12 new courts will be open for two extra hours between 5 and 7 in the evenings. The courts will first handle cases pertaining to the Negotiable Instruments Act and then move on to handling cases involving petty offences,said I S Mehta,Judge-in-charge,Dwarka district court.

Metropolitan magistrates will be empowered to decide cases under the Negotiable Instruments Act on a rotation basis for bounced cheques up to an amount of Rs 25,000. These cases will be transferred to them from all magisterial courts of that complex. Cases will be referred to evening courts with the consent of the parties concerned,and if these courts fail to arrive at a solution for a particular matter,it will be returned to the referral court for routine adjudication.

The judges and the evening court staff for the new courts will be drawn from existing strength and will be paid an additional 25 per cent of their month’s salary.