Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Sept 13: Shocking it may sound but it is a fact that several judicial officers of the State have failed to ensure timely compliance to the directions of the State High Court prompting the latter to issue repeated reminders and warning notes. The non-compliance is notwithstanding the fact that all these directives are generally aimed at reducing the pendency of the cases, which is also a major cause of concern for the highest court of the country-Supreme Court.
Reliable sources told EXCELSIOR that ever since he took over as Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court early this year, Justice N Paul Vasanthakumar has noticed that numerous judicial officers have not been ensuring timely compliance to the directions issued by the High Court through Registrar General from time to time.
Though there should be voluntary compliance from the judicial officers vis-à-vis the directions passed through circulars on vital subjects several years back, the reports are not received regularly in the office of Registrar General. “The intensity of the situation can be gauged from the fact that even repeated reminders are to be issued to such judicial officers to ensure compliance to the directives”, sources said.
Quoting an example, sources said that in the month of September 2009, the then Registrar General of the High Court had issued a circular directing all the judicial officers to furnish monthly, quarterly, half-yearly and yearly work done statements.
However, there was no voluntary compliance from large number of judicial officers and this was viewed seriously by the present Chief Justice and on his directions, the Registrar General on June 30, 2015 directed Principal District and Sessions Judges to ensure promptness in receipt of work done statements in the High Court. It was made clear in this circular that any deviation from the directive would be considered as disobedience.
Subsequently, on July 1, 2015, the Registrar General issued directions to the judicial officers seeking break-up of disposal of cases with effect from January 1, 2015 to June 30, 2015 (both civil and criminal) and pendency as on June 30, 2015 in Subordinate Courts across the State. They (judicial officers) were directed to indicate the number of cases, which were 5 to 10 years old and disposed of during the period between January 1, 2015 and June 30, 2015.
The judicial officers were also supposed to indicate the number of pending 5 to 10 years old cases, number of over 10 years old cases disposed of during the period and number of pending cases, which are over 10 years old. Though the reports were submitted by the judicial officers, the same were found beyond satisfaction of the Chief Justice thereby prompting the latter to convey concern to the judicial officers through Registrar General.
However, much to the surprise of the High Court, around a dozen judicial officers have failed to submit first half yearly work done statements (civil/criminal), which were otherwise supposed to be submitted in the first week of July.
“This clearly indicates that several judicial officers doesn’t maintain the record and prepare the same only when the same is sought by the High Court through repeated reminders”, sources said, adding “this also conveys that several judicial officers of the State are not ready to ensure voluntary compliance to the standing instructions of the High Court being reiterated through circulars after regular intervals”.
Quoting another example, sources said that there are standing instructions for disposal of cases through mediation activities but no record is readily available about this exercise, which otherwise is also the part of one of the important directions of the Supreme Court on speedy disposal of cases.
According to the sources, Chief Justice N Paul Vasanthakumar is initiating a number of steps in order to ensure either voluntary compliance or timely submission of reports and details so that close eye is maintained on the cases disposal trend in the State and necessary steps are initiated.
It is pertinent to mention here that recently the Registrar General through a circular expressed serious concern over some judicial officers listing few cases and sit in their chambers post lunch-break.
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