Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana on Friday asked subordinate judges to function with a “human face”, always keeping in mind the socio-economic conditions of the litigants, particularly children, women and the vulnerable.

“Always remember the human aspects of the dispute. Law cannot be far from equity. It is important to project the human face of the judiciary whenever you have scope for invoking your discretion,” Justice Ramana said while inaugurating a conference of Telangana’s judicial officers at Gachibowli, Hyderabad.

“Make the court proceedings accessible. Consider the socio-economic background, language, education, etc, of the parties involved and deal with them suitably,” he said.

“You must sensitise yourself to different vulnerabilities of parties. Minors, women, persons belong to weaker sections of society, persons with disabilities, etc, might all have different requirements. Treat everyone with respect.”

Justice Ramana said that judges of the subordinate courts — such as district judges and magistrates — ought to ensure that the litigants are satisfied as they form their opinion of the judiciary based on the conduct of subordinate courts.

“You have to create a congenial environment for the litigants. Often, the litigants would be under a lot of stress. You should try to make them feel at ease,” the Chief Justice said.

“The role you play is highly significant in the constitutional scheme. Apply your mind independently on the materials presented before you. For instance, the requirements of the Criminal Procedure Code are not mere formalities: they are an important check on executive actions and represent substantive rights of the accused.”

Justice Ramana asked the judges to work without fear and said the security apparatus for judges was being strengthened across the country.

“I am aware of the increasing physical attacks on judges. I am doing my utmost to prevent such occurrences. Directions were issued to improve the security of judicial officials both inside and outside court rooms,” he said.

The allusion was to the death of Dhanbad district judge Uttam Anand last year in an allegedly stage-managed road accident.

Case pendency

Justice Ramana said he had convened a joint conference of chief ministers and high court chief justices at the end of this month to discuss the establishment of statutory, independent national and state-level judicial infrastructure corporations.

Currently, the judiciary depends on the executive to meet its infrastructure needs.

Justice Ramana said the biggest problem facing the Indian judiciary, particularly the subordinate judiciary, was the pendency of cases.

“It is my firm belief that a better judicial infrastructure and the filling of judicial vacancies are essential to improving access to justice. It has been my endeavour to fill all the judicial vacancies at all levels,” he said.

He asked judges to maintain a healthy lifestyle and said their financial requirements would be taken care of by the next pay commission for judges.

“I know your financial well-being is a very important factor. Only when you are free from financial worries, you will be able to give your best. Let me assure you that I have taken up the issues related to the pay commission and you will soon get good news on this front,” he said.

Justice Ramana called on judicial officers to persuade litigants to choose alternative dispute redress mechanisms like arbitration, mediation and conciliation whenever possible. This, he said, will ensure faster justice delivery and cut pendency.