Make justice accessible to all: President
HC BUILDING INAUGURATION Kovind expresses concern over expensive judicial process, saying reaching high court and SC has become impossible for litigants
JODHPUR: President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday expressed concern over the expensive judicial process, saying that reaching the high court and the Supreme Court has become impossible for litigants.
Speaking on the inauguration ceremony of new Rajasthan high court building, the President said that his utmost concern is making justice accessible to all. “We read about the bells of justice at royal palaces in old times. Anybody could ring the bell and ask the king to right a wrong. Today, can the poorest of the poor and the most marginalised come here to seek redressal of their grievances? This is of utmost importance, as the very Preamble of the Constitution exhorts all of us to make justice accessible to all.
“Also, the scope of providing free legal aid to the poor and the deprived has to be widened,” Kovind said.
“The judicial system has become very expensive. It has become difficult for any poor person in the country to reach the high court and the Supreme Court. In such a situation, it is the responsibility of all of us that every citizen of the country has access to cheap justice, ” he said.
The President said that there are many reasons behind the high and sometimes prohibitive cost of justice. But if we keep Gandhiji’s famous ‘Talisman’ in mind, if we recall the face of the poorest and weakest man or woman we may have seen, we will find ways. For example, we can help the needy with the provision of free legal aid. He said that technology has been a great leveller of our times, leading to social changes too. Its application in the area of the justice dispensation can open the high portals of the judiciary to the common people.
Remembering veteran lawyer Ashoke Sen, he said in multiple roles, his sole objective was the pursuit of justice for one and all. He expressed hope that more and more law professionals would draw inspiration from Sen and distribute fruits of their knowledge among the needy. The president said he was happy to note that the Supreme Court had started making its judgments available in nine regional languages. ICT could bring amazing results in this domain, he added
The President also said that the new building of Rajasthan High Court has been completed with a beautiful design.
“There is a very rich tradition of bars and benches in Jodhpur. The responsibility of taking this tradition forward is now with the younger generation,” he said.