The Supreme Court today has dismissed a PIL seeking directions to Central & State Govts to allocate separate & adequate funds for smooth & impartial functioning of Judicial system while stating “we can’t interfere & don’t want to give any such directions to Central Govt.”
A three-judge bench headed by the Chief Justice N.V. Ramana, and Justices A.S. Bopanna & Hrishikesh Roy was hearing the plea filed by Advocate Reepak Kansal which has sought directions to the Central and the State Governments to allocate a percentage of the annual budget to the judiciary who will spend the amount itself depending upon the priorities for such spending. The plea also sought directions for the constitution of a separate Secretariat with the Supreme Court and High Courts to manage the funds allocated to the Judiciary.
The petitioner alleged that “in the last 70 years, there has been no proper allocation of funds adequate with the corresponding increase in population, legal awareness, increase in legislation and the same is a clear violation of the basic structure of the Constitution as well as basic human rights.”
Further it has been submitted that, “it is necessary for the development of the Judicial infrastructure, the Centre and State Governments should provide requisite resources to the Judiciary without cutting/rejecting the demands made by it so that it is able to smoothly discharge its judicial functions.”
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The petition also alleged that, “The Central and State Governments do not even consider judiciary important so as to organize funds or to make any establishment in the infrastructure of the judiciary.”
“It is a matter of great concern that Centre and state governments are not even spending 1% of the budget allocated to Judiciary. Due to this, the subordinate courts in India have been facing hardships during day-to-day work. The deficiency in infrastructure is a factor that affects Judicial delays and becomes relevant in improving access to justice,” it said.