When a new law is proposed, it would be useful to anticipate the effects it is likely to have. Judicial Impact Assessments could help ensure that we do not exacerbate pendency and delays.
The Constitution recognises the threat of private discrimination, and prohibits it in its text. An interpretation that recognises the historical chronicle and context of exclusion is needed to uphold it.
Huge backlogs in the justice system have prompted judges to look for ways to speed things up. The Supreme Court has twice pointed fingers at long and repetitive oral arguments.
The courts are public institutions, whose functioning should be transparent and accountable. The media's role in informing the public about the courts should therefore not be diluted.
The higher judiciary has very few women. While this low representation is acknowledged to be a problem by the judiciary itself, there has been no serious effort to correct it.
Should the appellate jurisdiction of the apex court be more accessible to the people? Or would that increase litigation and lead to more inconsistencies between judgments?
High Courts in India face case-loads that keep growing, alongside their responsibilities to oversee lower courts. The much-needed reforms to fix this have themselves been pending for too long.
Electricity regulators have been effective in instituting online facilities to conduct hearings remotely. With more steps, virtual processes could improve participation in normal times too.
Observations from a recent study of the Bengaluru Rural Courts point to a sad reality - that many of the most basic and foundational things needed for efficient delivery of justice are missing.
Safety and criminality in society must be assessed directly from the people themselves. The government is deluding itself and citizens by conflating law enforcement statistics with crime data, writes Tara Krishnaswamy.
Activists and supporters are urging the Supreme Court to ban the practice of triple talaq. Ramesh Menon says that the government will have to courageously act on the sticky issue to ensure that thousands of women get justice.
Post-POCSO Act, reporting of child sexual abuse cases have rocketed in Kerala, but conviction rates remain dismal. State government and judiciary lack the infrastructure to ensure justice for victims, finds Navya P K.
Crime and atrocities against Dalits is on rise, while support and justice in these cases are long delayed and the coverage of these crimes is inept, biased or voyeuristic. Pushpa Achanta finds out why media, the fourth pillar of our democracy, is falling short in its duty.
The Centre for Internet & Society (CIS) registers its dissent over the new Human DNA Profiling Bill draft. Sunil Abraham, Executive Director of CIS, explains how the Bill does not address the privacy concerns despite a seemingly powerful language.
Pushpa Achanta describes the unrelenting efforts of the KDMV in educating members of the Dalit and Adivasi communities about their legal entitlements and helping them wage battles for justice in cases involving caste atrocity and discrimination.
India Together is published with support from Oorvani Foundation.
