Infra upgrade in mind, Kiren Rijiju calls conference of state law ministers

Union law minister Kiren Rijiju has convened a conference of the law ministers of all states and union territories next month.

Augmentation of judicial infrastructure will be the top agenda of the conference, said people in the know. Scheduled for the last week of November, it will also focus on other key issues hindering the administration of justice in lower courts.

Minister Rijiju confirmed the plan to hold the conference and said it was aimed at bringing the state governments on board in beefing up the judicial infrastructure for an effective and speedy justice delivery system. He emphasised on the need for a "structured" approach by "integrating state machinery" to tackle the issue.

"The primary responsibility of development of infrastructure facilities for the judiciary rests with the state governments. However, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, the Centre has proactively augmented the resources of the state government to improve the courtroom infrastructure and address the housing needs for judicial officers of the district and subordinate courts, through a centrally sponsored scheme on development of judicial infrastructure," said a senior official, requesting anonymity.

Earlier this week, during the inauguration of a new annexe building of the Bombay High Court bench at Aurangabad, Chief Justice of India NV Ramana said that "judicial infrastructure is key for improving access to justice".