“Judge Population Ratio Abysmally Low In India”: Says SC Bar Association Head Kapil Sibal

New Delhi, Aug 31: President of the Supreme Court Bar Association, Kapil Sibal on Friday expressed concern on the number of judges in the country saying that the judge

Supreme Court Bar Association President Kapil Sibal on Friday expressed concern over the low number of judges in the country, stating that the judge population ratio in India is abysmally low.

Sibal made the remarks while addressing the inaugural event of the 2-day National Conference of District Judiciary, being held at Bharat Mandapam here. The event also saw Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurating the National Conference of District Judiciary. On the occasion, PM Modi unveiled the stamp and coin commemorating 75 years of the establishment of the Supreme Court of India.

In his address, Sibal said, “…The judge population ratio is abysmally low in India. The roster at the level of district and sessions level is overburdened…”

Highlighting the need to empower trial courts, district and session courts to deliver justice, Kapil Sibal said, “…Our trial court, district and sessions court need to be empowered to deliver justice without fear or fervour…They are not subordinate as they deliver justice. the judiciary at that level should be instilled with the confidence that their judgments will not be held against them and that they represent the spinal cord of the justice delivery system…,”

“In my career, I have seldom seen bail granted at that level. This is not just my experience but even CJI has said this because higher courts are burdened. After all, bail at the lower court is an exception…Liberty is the foundational substratum of a thriving democracy and any attempt to throttle it impacts the quality of our democracy…,” Sibal added in his address.

The Supreme Court is organising a two-day national conference of the district Judiciary beginning August 31 and September 1. The two-day Conference, organised by the Supreme Court of India, will host five working sessions that will deliberate and discuss on the issues related to district judiciary such as infrastructure and human resources, inclusive courtrooms for all, judicial security and judicial wellness, case management and judicial training.

Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud were also present at the event.