'Tareekh Pe Tareekh'
"Chief Justice of India Chandrachud's Stand Against Endless Adjournments in Courts"
By, Rahul Prasad
An iconic dialogue by Sunny Deol in Movie ‘Damini’ captures the frustration of endless delays in the Indian Judicial System.
Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, on November 3, 2023, emphasised that he doesn't want the court to become known for continuous delays and adjournments. He pointed out the irony in lawyers requesting urgent listings for cases, only to later seek adjournments, creating prolonged delays in the legal process. CJI requested the members of the bar to not seek adjournments of matters unless "very very necessary" because Justice delayed is Justice Denied.
The CJI gave Statistics showing a number of adjournment requests and highlighted the inefficiency of the Practice.
The Chief Justice of India expressed concern over the excessive adjournments in courts, stating that 178 adjournment requests were made in a day, totaling 1844 in a month. This contradicted the urgent listing of 2361 cases since September, averaging 59 cases daily. He emphasised the disruption caused by the cycle of mention, listing, and subsequent adjournments, undermining the citizens' trust.
CJI Chandrachud highlighted the different adjournment request procedures between the Supreme Court and High Courts. In the Supreme Court, lawyers request adjournments via letter, while in High Courts, the request is made directly before the judge, subject to the judge's discretion. The CJI's concern centred on maintaining trust in the judicial system by reducing unnecessary adjournments.
The Indian Judicial System, inherited from its Colonial Past has seen many reforms, but the problem of delayed justice still remains. Efforts have been made to address these problems, such as: -
· Introduction of alternative Dispute resolution mechanism.
· Establishment of Fast Track Court
Getting rid of the “ Tareekh pe Tareekh” (delay after delay) culture in the legal system is crucial. By making sure that decisions are made quickly and efficiently, we can regain trust in the courts and ensure that everyone gets fair and timely justice.
