Ranchi, Jan. 12: Should judicial officers drive home a point like, say, trade unionists?

“No, no, you cannot behave like trade unionists,” said Mohan Gopal, director of National Judicial Academy (NJA) and also a member of the Knowledge Commission when district judges, particularly from Bihar, raised their voices demanding appropriate infrastructure for speedy disposal of cases.

“A doctor cannot refuse to attend patients on the grounds that he is ill-equipped. He has to put his best foot forward with whatever means he has,” he added. Their response, however, stuck out like a sore thumb and Gopal later went on to comment that it exposed the sham that legal education had become in eastern India.

Gopal was here to address a three-day training programme for judicial officers recently to launch the national judicial education policy. About 134 officers from nine eastern states participated in the event, the maiden interaction of the NJA with the first line judicial officers.

Other judges present on the occasion included Justice S.B. Sinha from the Supreme Court, Justice I.A. Ansari of Gauhati High Court, Justice Chandramauli Prasad of Patna High Court, Justice M.Y. Eqbal of Jharkhand High Court, Justice Madan B. Lukur of Delhi High Court and Justice D.R. Deshmukh of Chhattisgarh High Court.

After the meet, the NJA, in coordination with Jharkhand High Court and the State Judicial Academy have come out with a comprehensive list of dos and don’ts for the district judges. However, Gopal added that of the 2.52 lakh crore cases locked in subordinate courts across the country, about 2 crores are pending for less than a year, he said.

The guidelines also want the district judges to focus on relationship management. They should maintain cordial relationship with the Bar, staff, subordinate judges, witnesses and the district administration, it states.

Besides, they should make use of the media to spread awareness about Lok Adalats, legal literacy, and alternative dispute resolution. They were told to be courteous to witnesses so that the court atmosphere remains friendly for them, the guidelines added. District judges have been told to seek the help of NGOs in matters of child custody, dowry, and domestic violence to ascertain the truth and bring parties to a settlement.

In order to motivate the judicial officers, the district judges have been asked to hold breakfast meetings with officers who lag behind.