Lead for legal reforms should come from within: Manmohan

"Legal and judicial reform is not the concern only of the judiciary or the legislature -- it is equally the solemn responsibility of the executive and indeed of the bar," he said while inaugurating a national convention on 'Law, Justice and the Common Man' here.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who presided over the convention, voiced concern over pendency of 2.5 crore cases at various levels of judiciary and said that the "milestone legislation" of Gram Nayayalayas will ensure speedy disposal of these cases and give meaningful justice to common man.

The Prime Minister also struck a similar note saying that the strengths of Indian legal system, which are admired all over the world, are "somewhat diminished by the arrears and backlog of cases at every level of our judicial system." Noting that justice should be "effective and firm", Gandhi said that UPA I and UPA II have brought a wealth of unprecedented legislative reforms from RTI, NREGA to the Women's Bill being passed in Rajya Sabha, "which is now to get the approval of Lok Sabha".

Law and Justice Minister M Veerappa Moily made a strong plea for creation of a national data bank on lawyers belonging to Congress. "So that we can find domain expertise...we can train them in different fields and ultimately we can also bond them in the mainstream of judiciary," he said. The Prime Minister noted that the judiciary, the legislature and the executive should pool their wisdom, knowledge and experience to move forward in the area of legal reforms. "The lead, however, has to come from within."

"We promise to match each step of the bar and the bench with two of our own. We will not hesitate to walk the extra mile at every opportunity," he said. He said the government would not be found wanting in tackling problems being faced in administration of justice.

"The government attaches great importance to the legal empowerment of common men. We believe that democracy would have little meaning for the common man and woman unless he or she is able to secure justice through the instrumentality of law," Singh said.

Noting that Gram Nyayalayas will bring justice at the doorsteps of common people, Singh asked states to initiate immediate action to operationalise this Act. "Once the Act is fully implemented, we will have more than 5,000 courts at the intermediate panchayat level. These will bring justice to the doorstep of the common people," he said.

"At a conference of Chief Justices and Chief Ministers some time back, I had pointed out that the Indian legal and judicial system, in some sense, reflects great contradiction," Singh said. The Prime Minister said his government has decided to set up 71 additional CBI courts in different states. "We expect these fast track courts to conduct their business differently and faster than normal courts and thus contribute to reducing the pendency of cases at various levels," he said.

Singh said the government will continue to augment and improve judicial infrastructure to ensure speedy access to justice. He also called for showing "sensitivity and care in dealing with the vulnerable and marginalised sections". "The single most important stake holder in our legal and judicial system is the consumer of justice. It is to provide relief to him and to meet his legitimate expectations that we should all work together," he said.

Noting that backlog of the cases is not the only issue that needs to be resolved, he said, "Certain laws, which have ceased to be relevant, either need to be deleted or amended." Gandhi said the party is committed to the passage of food security law, which was a promise mentioned in the Congress manifesto and felt that it will mark another achievement of the UPA-II.

The Congress President mentioned the Right to Elementary Education and National Green Tribunal Bill as other achievements of the UPA-II. She said the right to elementary education will become a reality from the next month. She said that the Central government is going to provide Rs 1400 crore for setting up Gram Nyayalayas, which aim at providing speedy justice in rural areas.

Gandhi said these are the measures through which the government is trying to put pressure on the executive to deliver justice in a speedy and transparent manner. The Congress President also said that all these laws will remain merely on paper unless they are effectively implemented.

Noting that "ignorance of law is widespread", she urged lawyers associated with the party to work towards legal education and empowerment of common man. Law can be a powerful instrument for fundamental social reform, Gandhi said adding, only through law equality for all and inclusive growth could be achieved.

It is the responsibility of every government to ensure that its legislative agenda has at its core the well-being of the common man and is reflective of their genuine concerns, she added. Both the Prime Minister and the Congress President also recalled the rich contribution of the lawyers in the country's freedom struggle.