Govt for separate cadre of officers to look after management of lower courts

NEW DELHI: The government is planning to create a separate cadre of officers in states to look after management of lower courts so that the judges can concentrate on judicial work and are not bogged down with daily administrative chores.

The Centre feels the earlier plan to have court managers to assist judges in managing court administration and finances has not worked well.

The 13th Finance Commission had allocated Rs 300 crore between 2010-15 for the lower courts to appoint court managers. They were tasked with assisting judges in streamlining court administration.

"However, it has failed to achieve its desired results. Only one-third of the sanctioned amount was released and one-seventh utilised.

"Recruitment on contract basis, low remuneration package, reluctance on the part of the judiciary to accept court managers to participate in judicial process have been identified as some of the reasons for failure to attract suitable candidates," Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said in a letter addressed to all chief justices of high courts.

The lower courts function under high courts of states. There are 24 high courts in the country.

Prasad said, in order to keep judges free from administrative and financial issues to allow them more time for adjudicating cases, "It has been felt a separate permanent cadre of administrators for court administration, court management and court financing... may be created at state level."

In his letter written earlier this month, he has sought views of chief justices before taking the issue further with respective state governments.

The Centre's move to set up the new cadre comes at a time when lower judiciary is burdened with over 2.70 crore cases. While the total approved strength of lower court judges is nearly 22,000, it faces a shortage of 4,937 judges and judicial officers.