CJI Calls for ‘Indianisation’ of Country’s Legal System

Chief Justice of India N V Ramana on Friday called for “Indianisation” of the country’s legal system pointing out that the colonial rules currently followed may not be suited to the needs of the Indian population.

“Very often our justice delivery poses multiple barriers for the common people. The working and the style of courts do not sit well with the complexities of India. Our systems practise rules being colonial in origin may not be best suited to the needs of Indian population. The need of the hour is the Indianisation of our legal system”, the CJI said while addressing an event organised by the Karnataka State Bar Council to pay tributes to late Supreme Court judge Justice Mohan Mohan Shantanagoudar.

Explaining this, CJI Ramana pointed out: “When I say Indianisation, I mean the need to adapt to the practical realities of our society and localise our justice delivery systems. For example, parties from a rural place fighting a family dispute are usually made to feel out of place in the court. They do not understand the arguments or pleadings which are mostly in English, a language alien to them. These days, judgments have become lengthy, which further complicates the position of litigants. For the parties to understand the implications of a judgment, they are forced to spend more money” .

The CJI underlined that courts should be litigant centric, as they are the ultimate beneficiaries.

“The simplification of justice delivery should be our pressing concern. It is crucial to make justice delivery more transparent, accessible and effective. Procedural barriers often undermine access to justice. The common man should not be apprehensive about approaching the courts and authorities.

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