District courts are not `secondary', they are core of judicial system: Justice Oka

Courts at the district and taluka level should not be considered `secondary' as they provide justice to the common people, Supreme Court judge Abhay S Oka has said.

He was speaking after inaugurating the new building of the Bhiwandi magistrate court in Thane district on Wednesday.

District and taluka courts play an important role in providing justice to common people, hence they are the core of the judicial system and should not be looked upon as ''secondary courts'', he said.

Acknowledging that several good court buildings have been constructed in Maharashtra in the last ten years, Justice Oka said the state government should still try to provide better facilities which will ensure speedy delivery of justice. The use of information technology should be increased and the Thane district court should take the initiative in this regard, said Justice Oka.

Justice Gauri Godse of the Bombay High Court urged the judges at the Bhiwandi court as well as lawyers to try and settle or dispose of cases pending for five to ten years as soon as possible.

Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister of State Kapil Patil assured assistance for a digital library facility at the Bhiwandi court from his MP funds.

Provision will be made in the next budget for an additional sessions court in Thane district, he said.

Maharashtra PWD minister Ravindra Chavan said the construction of a new court at Kalyan will be expedited if land was made available. 

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