Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India]: The Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud inaugurated the new office of the Central Administration Tribunal in Maharashtra’s Mumbai district on Thursday.
During the inauguration, Chief Justice Chandrachud addressed a gathering and emphasised the significant stride toward gender diversity within the judiciary in the recent recruitment processes for civil judge junior division positions across various states.
Highlighting the findings of the “State of the Judiciary” report, Chief Justice Chandrachud revealed, “Out of 16 states, which recently conducted the civil judge junior division recruitment process, 14 states had more than 50 per cent selection of women judicial officers.”
The Chief Justice commended the progress made by these states in promoting gender balance within the judicial system, emphasizing the importance of creating an inclusive and representative judiciary that reflects the diversity of the society it serves.
“In some states, even in the absence of a horizontal 30 per cent reservation, the number of women being recruited at the lowest level of the Indian judiciary has gone up to 70-80 per cent,” he added.
The CJI further said that the tribunals in the country play a significant role in assisting to unclog delays in courts and in aiding the overall dispensation of justice.
“One of the objectives of tribunals was to combat and battle the delays faced by our courts and it was hoped that these tribunals, which are untethered by strict rules of evidence and procedure, would help unclog the courts and aid overall in the dispensation of justice,” the CJI said.
He further said that there is a constant tussle about who will get ultimate control over the appointment of judges even as vacancies arise and appointments are kept pending for a long period.
“There is this constant tussle about who will get ultimate control over the appointment of judges,” CJI Chandrachud said.
The CJI also emphasised the need to make courtrooms more accessible to differently-abled persons.
“Technology cannot become the sole medium to access justice, and physical access to courts can never be understated and hence must be constantly improved,” he added.
The CJI further said that infrastructural advances must be guided by the objective of accommodating people with diverse needs from diverse segments of our society.
“A well-maintained and accessible infrastructure can enhance the public’s confidence in the state’s ability to meet not only their legal needs but also account for their comfort as they navigate through the complexities of these daunting legal journeys,” he added.
