Supreme Court Pushes for Establishment of Gram Nyayalayas to Ease Legal Backlog

The Supreme Court emphasized the importance of establishing 'Gram Nyayalayas' to provide affordable justice at citizens' doorsteps and reduce case backlogs. Despite a 2008 Act, only 264 Gram Nyayalayas are operational. The court directed states and high courts to report on their establishment and infrastructure within six weeks.

The Supreme Court on Friday underscored the crucial need for the establishment of 'Gram Nyayalayas' to deliver affordable and speedy justice to citizens, aiming to bring legal remedies directly to their doorsteps and significantly reduce the massive backlog of cases in trial courts.

An Act passed by Parliament in 2008 mandated the creation of Gram Nyayalayas at the grassroots level, ensuring access to justice for all citizens, especially those hindered by social, economic, or other disabilities. However, Justice B R Gavai and Justice K V Viswanathan noted that only 264 Gram Nyayalayas are currently functional, far short of the intended 6,000.

The bench has directed the chief secretaries of all states and registrar generals of high courts to submit detailed affidavits within six weeks regarding the establishment and operational status of these courts, including the available infrastructure. Notably, the directive follows a request by advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing an NGO, which highlighted the slow implementation of the Act since its inception 16 years ago.