Ease of justice has brought legal system closer to people, Pg11

Key Highlights:

• India has focused on enhancing "ease of justice" through legislative modernization, institutional strengthening, and digital innovation under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.
• Initiatives like Tele-Law and Nyaya Bandhu have provided free pre-litigation legal consultations to over 11.2 million beneficiaries in rural and remote areas.
• The number of court halls has increased from 15,818 in 2014 to 22,712, supported by significant funding for integrated court complexes.
• The e-Courts Phase-III project aims to transform courts into end-to-end digital, paperless, and AI-enabled institutions for justice delivery.
• AI-powered tools such as Supreme Court Vidhik Anuvaad Software and Bhashini translate Supreme Court judgments into 18 Indian languages.
• New criminal laws integrate e-courts, e-prosecution, e-prisons, and e-forensics with the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS).
• The Mediation Act, 2023 and the Gandhinagar Declaration at the BRICS justice ministers’ meeting in 2026 underscore India's leadership in alternative dispute resolution.

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Detailed Insights:

• The "ease of justice" framework aims for ease of engagement for litigants, ease of working for advocates and judges, and ease of understanding for citizens.
• Designing Innovative Solutions for Holistic Access to Justice scheme promotes pro-bono work and makes justice delivery accessible and affordable.
• E-filing services and e-Seva Kendras have simplified interactions between litigants and the judicial ecosystem.
• The National Judicial Data Grid provides single-click access to information on over 340 million court orders, enhancing transparency.
• The Nyaya Shruti platform facilitates virtual appearances and recording of witness testimonies, streamlining processes like digital bail orders.
• The sanctioned strength of High Court judges increased from 906 to 1122, and Supreme Court judges from 31 to 38.
• Over 40,000 compliances were reduced, and 1,725 redundant colonial-era laws were repealed to improve ease of doing business.
• The establishment of institutions like the India International Arbitration Centre strengthens the arbitration framework.
• India is committed to building a resilient, innovative, and inclusive justice system to achieve the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Tele-Law: A government initiative providing free pre-litigation legal consultations to citizens, especially in rural areas, through digital platforms.
• e-Courts Project: A national mission to digitize and modernize the Indian judiciary, aiming for paperless and AI-enabled court processes.
• Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR): Methods like mediation and arbitration used to resolve legal disputes outside traditional court litigation, promoting faster and more cost-effective solutions.
• Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS): A national project to create a comprehensive and integrated system for effective policing and criminal justice administration.