District Judges Face Numerous Challenges, Need HC's Support; Advocates Also Have Expectations From System: Kerala High Court CJ Nitin Jamdar
Tellmy Jolly & Manju Elsa Isac
27 Sep 2024 6:49 AM GMT
While speaking at the Full Court reference held to welcome him, the newly appointed Kerala High Court Chief Justice Nitin Madhukar Jamdar drew attention to difficulties faced by State's district judiciary, advocates and the Registry.
Justice Jamdar was sworn in as the Kerala High Court CJ yesterday (September 26) and while he expressed gratitude for the opportunity, he also reflected on the upcoming challenges.
“This position to me represents not a seat of power, but a call to duty and service. It is widely recognized in the judicial circles that some of the best judgments in the country come from Kerala High Court," but, the Judge added, "Judges in district judiciary face numerous challenges and requires support and guidance from the High Court….The pandemic has been particularly hard on advocates, across the country, especially on junior advocates. Having spent more part of my career in the legal field as an advocate than as a judge I have a lasting bond with the profession and I am aware that the advocates face many difficulties and they have certain expectations from the system.”
So far as the Registry is concerned, the Judge said it carries delicate and under-appreciated tasks and often works beyond the Court's working hours to complete it.
Justice Jamdar said the stakeholders of the justice delivery system require constant support and guidance from the High Court for smooth functioning and reminded that litigants stand at the cornerstone of all the activities.
This also brought him to the issue of pendency of cases and he said that the primary goal of the legal system is to ensure that justice is dispensed to litigants speedily and at a reasonable cost.
“Pendency of cases is a persistent issue facing in all courts and several measures have been taken to tackle it. One of the effective strategy is to use technology, an area where Kerala High Court has been a front runner. Integrating technology and effective case management are crucial tools in addressing pendency...increased access to knowledge, enhanced transparency and growing accountability is the cornerstone of a stable society and a credible judiciary.”
Justice Jamdar was elevated to the bench of Bombay High Court in January 2012 and he had a brief stint as Acting Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court from May 31, 2023 to July 29, 2023. He comes from a family of lawyers and he started his practice in 1982. During his practice, he had represented various public authorities including Zila Parishads, Municipal Corporations and Universities, Bar Council of India and High Court Administration. He was a Senior Standing Counsel for Union of India.
The Judge has worked in many areas of technology. He had contributed in establishing the first e-court in Bombay High Court in 2013 and formulating model rules of digitization. He was the Director of Maharashtra Judicial Academy and was a pioneer in starting digital classroom for judges. He is a member of the World Commission on Environment Law.
Justice Jamdar was part of the Bench that directed the release and rehabilitation of cured patients in various mental health hospitals in Maharashtra and directed the government to establish halfway homes. He was part of the Bench that directed the Maharashtra government to create social media handles where people can report instances of manual scavenging in the state. His Bench had also held that minor mistakes due to disability should not lead to loss of job opportunity.
