Droupadi Murmu, President of India, inaugurated the new Jharkhand High Court building recently.
Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren also attended the event.
While delivering her speech, President Murmu batted for a creche facility in the new building to encourage women to pursue legal careers while taking care of their children.
“In terms of working circumstances… many court buildings have opened creches so that our sisters can work while taking care of their children… I hope the new building includes creches… courts are a temple of justice,” she stated.
She also emphasised the importance of lowering litigation expenses.
“On access to justice… it is always a work in progress, and we must find ways to improve access… cost is an important factor, and litigation expenses put access to justice out of reach for many,” the President added.
President Murmu also addressed the situation of undertrial detainees, stating that jails were overcrowded and that the underlying cause of the problem needed to be addressed.
“It’s encouraging to see that the issue of undertrials is being discussed… several steps have been taken to make the justice delivery system more inclusive,” she said.
Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud also mentioned the issue of delayed justice for undertrial prisoners and how it can lead to a loss of trust in the justice delivery system.
“From my experience at the High Court, I understand the distinction between justice and injustice. Undertrials languish in prisons because they lack the cash needed to pursue a case. The presumption of innocence is a fundamental principle of criminal law jurisprudence,” CJI stated.
The CJI further stated that courts can reach over six lakh Indian villages only when its judgements are available in regional languages.
“We intend to translate Supreme Court decisions using artificial intelligence. Approximately 6,000 Supreme Court decisions have been translated into Hindi…approximately 34000 Supreme Court judgements are now available free of charge in the e SCR portal… and live streaming has helped take court proceedings to every corner of the country,” CJI elaborated.
When speaking the issues facing the judiciary, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal reiterated similar sentiment.
Know more about Murmu’s visit and Jharkhand High Court: https://legally-speaking.in/jharkhand-high-court/president-droupadi-murmu-inaugurates-nations-largest-high-court-in-jharkhand/
