Courts lack facilities, judge tells govt.

Courts lack facilities, judge tells govt.

What has happened?

How people can expect justice to be delivered by courts that function from “dilapidated” buildings which do not offer basic facilities like water, toilets and electricity, Justice Madan B. Lokur said on Tuesday

Background

Justice Lokur, the fifth senior-most judge in the Supreme Court and a Collegium member, was hearing a suomotu petition on overpopulated prisons.

CSS for improving court infrastructure

• On March 7, the government addressed the Lok Sabha on the steps taken to strengthen judicial infrastructure in districts through the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) for ‘Development of Infrastructure Facilities for Judiciary.’
• It said a total of Rs. 6, 100 crore had been released since 1993-94, out of which Rs. 2,655 crore (43.52%) was released after April, 2014.

CSS to continue

The government told the House that it had approved the continuation of the CSS beyond the 12th Five Year Plan period, from April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2020, with an estimated outlay of Rs. 3,320 crore.