The Delhi High Court Justice Jasmeet Singh has called for a three adjournment rule to be followed while saying that said courts need to draw a line when it comes to granting adjournments.
The justice emphasised on the point that the issue is not granting adjournment but that a balance needs to be struck so that matters do not go on for years.
The Justice said that we need to timelines. Citing examples he said that in a civil suit you can say pleadings should be completed in six months,or say trial should conclude in so many days.
The Justice spoke this during an event which was organised by the Delhi High Court Women Lawyers Forum on the topic ‘Role of Bar in Reducing Arrear: Judicial Perspective’.
Another justice who spoke on the event was Justice Amit Sharma who said that another way to reduce pendency in the High Court was to discourage the practise of filing revisions against a magistrate’s order directly to the High Court.
Justice Sharma also said that the people directly challenge orders of the magistrate in High Courts. Why? You have the Sessions judge. They should apply their mind… Mediation must also be looked at in matrimonial matters and even in economic offence cases.
The president of Delhi High Court Bar Association President (DHCBA) Mohit Mathur said that the Court should consider seating lawyers adept in a particular field on the bench.
Justices Singh and Sharma also batted for digitisation of trial court records.
Justice Singh said that we have been sitting in criminal roster, where in revision petitions, the trial court record is must. If it’s there on the first day, you can save three dates.
He asked lawyers to be genuine with their clients and to give them a realistic estimate about their chance of success in a case.
The judge also urged lawyers to not castigate judges when they are challenging orders, because it reflects poorly on the officer when the same lines are quoted by the courts as well.