Tasaduq Hussain
Srinagar, Jul 15 : Aiming to improve and strengthen the justice delivery system, the chief justice of Jammu and Kashmir Pankaj Mithal has ordered to constitute “Coordination Meetings” between all the stakeholders to enhance the efficiency level of the judiciary in all the districts of J&K and directed all participants to hold deliberations on regular basis on the end of every quarter.
According to an order a copy of which lies with news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) reads that to strengthen the justice delivery system it is desirable that all the stakeholders work in tandem with each other to maximize the judicial output. “Therefore it is considered appropriate to have regular meetings of all the stakeholders where all can discuss their problems and work out solutions to enhance the efficiency level of the judiciary without causing any disturbance in the ordinary working of the other stakeholders”, the order reads.
It reads that a meeting known as ‘Coordination Meeting’ of all stakeholders viz. Deputy Commissioner, Senior Superintendent/ Superintendent of police, Prosecutor and Superintendent of the Jail or any other relevant authority shall be held at the end of every quarter of the year on a regular basis with the Principal District Judge and the Chief Judicial Magistrate in each district.
It reads that the coordination meetings shall be called by the Chief Judicial Magistrate on the direction of the Principal District Judge and chaired by the concerned Principal District Judge and shall be held at the District Court Complexes at any time in convenient of all participants without afflicting the normal business of the participants.
The order stated that in the coordination meetings the participants shall discuss the issues concerning ways and means for effective, efficient and timely rendering of justice to the litigants, the infrastructural and other local difficulties faced by the judicial institutions at all levels in the district; and ways and means of developing and improving the system as a whole.
It states that the agenda for the coordination meetings shall be drawn well before the scheduled date, at least a week before and shall be circulated among all the participants under the signature of the Chief Judicial Magistrate.
“The Minutes of the meetings amid the resolutions passed in such meetings shall be recorded in the ‘Minutes Book’ Specifically maintained for the purpose and shall be signed by all the participants including the co-opted participants”, the order reads. “The Secretary shall submit a copy of minutes and resolutions to the Secretary to the Administrative Judge of the District for being placed before the Administrative Judge.”
It reads that the minutes and resolutions shall be shared with all the participants to ensure effective follow up of all the actionable points. A copy thereof shall also be sent to the Registrar General and the Secretary to the Government Department of Law and Justice for monitoring the implementation of the actionable points and the resolutions thereof.
“The participants shall, in some appropriate and urgent cases, be authorized to make recommendations for such actions which may not be related to them or those beyond their control and competence”, the order states. “Any resolution making such recommendations shall be sent to the Secretary to the Hon’ble Administrative Judge of the District and to the Registrar General, and the Registrar General may seek appropriate instructions in this regard from the Chief Justice for taking up the matter with the concerned authorities.”
The Government may be requested to authorise and direct its concerned administrative officers of each district to attend coordination meetings and render all assistance within their competence in taking all possible measures directed towards improving the justice delivery system, the order further reads—(KNO)
