Justice at Cross Roads a A Critical Analysis of the Functioning of the Indian Judicial System and the Need for an Alternative
Though the founding fathers of the Indian Constitution accorded ‘justice’ the highest pedestal, higher than other notions of liberty, equality and fraternity but recent decades has raised serious concerns about the efficacy and accessibility of the Indian judicial system. The ability of the Indian judiciary to deliver speedy and affordable justice has come under scrutiny. Evidences suggest that the system has failed to stand the test of confidence, reliability and dependency that citizens’ so heavily demand. Critics comment that judicial accountability and responsibility are on the wane. An active judiciary as one of the strongest pillars of Indian democracy, today, is beset with unfathomable problems. The most pestiferous and malignant malice range from mounting arrears, delay in disposal of cases, litigation boom, inaccessibility of courts and above all the rising cost of justice. Through this article, I make a humble attempt to make sincere introspection into the functional distortions of the Indian judicial system and suggest remedial measures as espoused from time to time by legal luminaries, jurists and academics alike.
