State level conference organized in Chhattisgarh High Court in the presence of three judges of the Hon’ble Supreme Court

A state level conference on empowerment of district judiciary and civil and criminal law was organized at Chhattisgarh High Court Bilaspur on Sunday. The chief guest of this historic conference was Supreme Court judge Hon’ble Justice Suryakant and the special guests of the program were Supreme Court judges Hon’ble Justice P.S. Narasimha and Hon’ble Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra. The participation of three judges of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in this conference underlines the seriousness and importance of the conference and the important role of the district judiciary, the foundation of the judiciary of India, in dispensation of justice.

The state level conference was inaugurated by Hon’ble Justice Suryakant, Judge of the Supreme Court of India, by lighting the lamp. In his address, the Chief Guest, Hon’ble Justice Suryakant, Judge of the Supreme Court, expressed that the district judiciary is the first place in contact with the parties, in such a situation, the responsibility and role of the district judiciary is important and if the judge is committed to taking a decision, then no procedural and technical obstacle can hinder the judge in taking a logical decision. The Hon’ble Justice emphasized that instead of adopting a personal approach towards the technical and procedural obstacles in the delivery of justice, an institutional approach should be adopted for effective redressal of such obstacles. The Hon’ble Justice emphasized in relation to discouraging the increasing trend of frivolous and frivolous litigation that there should be no place for false and baseless cases in the judiciary. A strong and courageous district judiciary can be capable of dealing with frivolous and frivolous litigation. The Hon’ble Justice called upon the members of the district judiciary to take decisions with courage and honesty. Regarding the qualities of a judge, the Hon’ble Justice said that a judge should be brave, courageous and honest to his conscience. Addressing the members of the district judiciary, the Hon’ble Justice said that the Hon’ble High Court has the power of superintendence over the district judiciary, hence the district judiciary is accountable to the Hon’ble High Court, to its conscience and most importantly to the general public as seekers of justice. Regarding the responsibility of the district judiciary towards the general public, the Hon’ble Justice said that a party does not know any judge and he comes with the faith and belief that he will get justice, hence it is our responsibility to maintain their faith and belief.

Hon’ble Mr. Justice P.S. Narasimha, in his keynote address, emphasised the role and importance of the district judiciary and said that the district judiciary in India is not only a statutory court but its roots are located in the Constitution of India. Emphasising the importance of the district judiciary, he said that the district judiciary is closer to the parties in geographical and linguistic reach. The district judiciary understands the customs, traditions and language of the people at the local level in a better way. Hon’ble Justice, while highlighting the role of the district judiciary in civil and personal liberty, described the district judiciary as the protector of personal liberty in both civil and criminal areas. Hon’ble Justice, while emphasising on equipping the district judiciary with necessary resources and technical knowledge, cautioned that the process of taking judicial decisions should not be completely dependent on technology or artificial intelligence as it can adversely affect the process of taking decisions based on evidence and arguments.

Hon’ble Mr. Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra, in his address as a special guest, highlighted the importance of the district judiciary and said that the approach of the district judiciary and its interpretation of legal provisions is very important and it provides the basis for the interpretation done by the High Court and the Supreme Court. The Hon’ble Justice expressed that with the implementation of the new provisions, the approach and interpretation of the district judiciary towards the laws has become very important, so the district judiciary will have to be very cautious in implementing and interpreting the laws.

Hon’ble Justice Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice of Chhattisgarh High Court, in his welcome address said that with the collective efforts of all, we will be able to ensure a strong and effective district judiciary and today’s conference reflects our commitment to strengthen the district judiciary. Hon’ble Chief Justice expressed confidence that today’s conference will achieve its objectives and we will be able to deal with the challenges before the district judiciary in a better way and will move towards creating a more strong and effective district judiciary. Hon’ble Chief Justice also expressed that the technical sessions of this conference will definitely expand and enhance the understanding of judicial officers regarding civil and criminal law.

During this conference, a book on Chhattisgarh District Judiciary titled District Courts of Chhattisgarh was unveiled by the Hon’ble Justices. This book contains information about all the district courts of the state along with comprehensive information about the history, culture and diversity of the district as well as scholarly articles by judicial officers. At the end of the inaugural session of this state level conference, vote of thanks was given by Hon’ble Mr. Justice Sanjay K. Agarwal.