The Brave Pedestrian

Thousands of convicts are detained for months or even years AFTER COMPLETION OF THEIR SENTENCES due to non-payment of fines. What right to Life & Liberty are we talking about? The common man has no real right to life and liberty! That's right, there are thousands of inmates who remain in jail even after completion of their jail sentences because they are unable to pay the fine amount! At the end of 2013, there were 3000 such prisoners. Of these, 1375 prisoners, or 45.2% had been in jail less than six months after completion of their sentences. On the other extreme, 240 were still languishing in jail for more than five years after their jail sentences had ended. (Thank you TOI for in-depth coverage of this issue.) Like  ·  Comment  ·  Share

Judicial delay in case disposal is NOT an academic issue for ELDERLY CITIZENS, it is an issue of Protection of Life & Liberty. For them, justice delayed means justice denied literally... because they will probably be dead before they get justice! Although elderly people are vulnerable and need judiciary's protection the most, NOBODY IN HIS RIGHT MIND WOULD ADVISE THEM TO GO TO COURT. The chances of getting relief within 8-10 years are small... unless of course they are extrem ely wealthy and can engage the biggest lawyers to expedite matters. Roughly 10 percent of Indians are above 60 years. From bitter experiences, they know that courts are a futile exercise that will drain all their energy and financial resources, and are unlikely to give them anything in return. Our judiciary is consistently failing to protect senior citizens -- people who have completed a lifetime of service to society. How can we remain silent? Like  ·  Comment  ·...

Judges focus on procedural issues, and give only a passing glance at the Fundamental Rights of citizens. The plaints and grievances for which justice-seekers want redressal are totally ignored. Rich and powerful people are better able to overcome procedural hurdles with money power, and so they have a chance to succeed. But the ordinary citizens of India are usually stonewalled by procedural matters, and so they fail to get effective redressal. Like  ·  Comment  ·  Share

Judicial delay in case disposal is NOT an academic issue for ELDERLY CITIZENS, it is an issue of Protection of Life & Liberty. For them, justice delayed means justice denied literally... because they will probably be dead before they get justice! Although elderly people are vulnerable and need judiciary's protection the most, NOBODY IN HIS RIGHT MIND WOULD ADVISE THEM TO GO TO COURT. The chances of getting relief within 8-10 years are small... unless of course they are extrem ely wealthy and can engage the biggest lawyers to expedite matters. Roughly 10 percent of Indians are above 60 years. From bitter experiences, they know that courts are a futile exercise that will drain all their energy and financial resources, and are unlikely to give them anything in return. Our judiciary is consistently failing to protect senior citizens -- people who have completed a lifetime of service to society. How can we remain silent? Like  ·  Comment  ·...

In the context of having public discussions about judiciary's shortcomings... Like  ·  Comment  ·  Share

Seeking judicial remedy is almost impossible for the common man. It is not just an uphill task, it is a Himalayan task. Our courts are NOT a viable option for dependent persons. It is also NOT for the poor, the very young, the elderly, and other disadvantaged sections. Judiciary is therefore accessible to a very small proportion of Indian citizens; arguably, less than 5% of India’s population can actually hope to get some remedies from the courts. Surely, this is NOT how the  Constitution intended it to be! So, must we still maintain a respectful silence, while we suffer without any hope of improvement in court functioning? Is this what is expected of us now? No. Never. Discussion about the need for judicial reform CANNOT be the sole preserve of eminent jurists. The unavailability of judiciary to the common man and his family members deeply concerns their Life & Liberty. If nothing else, this alone gives common people every right to discuss the deficiencies of the ...