Concerned over a huge backlog of over 20 million cases in lower courts, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday said cutting down of long vacations enjoyed by the judiciary would go a long way in reducing the arrears.
"A simple way of improving the productivity of the judicial system is by increasing the number of working days and cutting down on long vacations. It was estimated to be equivalent to increasing the number of judges by 25%," Singh said while addressing the inaugural function of the Conference of Chief Justices and Chief Ministers at Vigyan Bhavan. The conference is being held after a gap of 11 years.
Singh hoped that the conference would come up with some recommendations in this regard.
Vowing to weed out corruption from the judiciary, Chief Justice R C Lahoti declared 2005 as 'the year of excellence in Indian judiciary' and warned that 'there will be no place for any corruption or indolence in the system'.
"I mean business," he thundered and called for developing a system to utilise the best of talent to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
Delivering his keynote address, Justice Lahoti said, "Cracking the whip on those who by their conduct or behaviour do not deserve to be members of an ideal judiciary has already commenced."
The CJI said the year 2005 would be 'dedicated to reduction in arrears without sacrificing quality and rising to the highest standards of conduct and behaviour'.
"I am confident of developing a system in which the best of talent and men of character and integrity shall alone have a place," he said.
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