Judiciary 2012: Justice delivery still a far cry
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, December 31 2012: Even though various policies have been formulated to improve the functioning of judiciary, it still remains a distant dream for the people of Manipur to get justice in 2012 .

While Manipur Human Rights Commission has remained defunct for the last three years, the cease work strike of High Court Bar Association since November 7 in pursuance of demands related to setting up the new High Court of the State.

As Manipur does not have its own High Court and is depending on Gauhati High Court, people of the State have been numerous difficulties in seeking justice.

It has been the long cherished aspiration of the people, the government and the advocates in the state to have an own high court of the State.

Giving a sigh of relief, the newly constructed High Court Complex at Chingmeirong was inaugurated and the Imphal Bench of Gauhati High Court which was located at North AOC was shifted to the new building.

In 2012, both Houses of Parliament passed a bill to institute separate High Court for Manipur with an aim to ensuring legal rights to the people of the state by improving the judiciary system.

Now Manipur has all the necessary infrastructure of a full-fledged State high court.

But functioning of the State high court is still to wait.

The High Court Bar Association has abstained from court duty over the issue of appointment of Judges for the State High Court.

The Association has demanded that all the judges of the State High Court should be appointed from among native lawyers who are competent enough to hold the posts and whose numbers are not lacking.

On the other hand, despite Manipur being a strife-torn State where cases of human rights violations are increasing day by day, the State Human Rights Commission has been lying defunct for the last past three years as the government has failed to appoint its chairman and members.

Although there has already been a court directive, the required Chairman and Members of the Commission have not been appointed, thus adding to the woes of the public.

Most importantly, lack of necessary judges in the lower courts, which are dealing with different cases, has resulted in pending of various criminal and civil cases.

It not only affected the justice delivery system of the state but also the career of advocates.

Nonetheless, Manipur did witness some significant development in the realm of judiciary system in 2012.Some mentionable developments are functioning of different courts in the Court Complex at Lamphel, opening of Legal Clinics to provide free legal aid to the public by the Manipur Legal Services Authority and the inauguration and functioning of CJM Courts at Senapati and Chandel districts.

Comment