Speed Post News Network
New Delhi : The Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on August 4, 2020, expressed concern over the mounting pendency of cases from the Supreme Court to the lower courts and urged the government and the judiciary to ensure faster justice by addressing the issue.
Addressing through virtual mode the Platinum Jubilee meet of Dr B R Ambedkar College of Law, Andhra University, on the occasion of its 76th Foundation Day, he underscored the need to make delivery of justice speedier and affordable. Citing adjournment of cases over long periods, Naidu observed that justice was becoming costly and referred to the well-known proverb “justice denied is justice delayed”. He said that Public Interest Litigations (PILs) should not become private interest litigations for personal, pecuniary, and political interests. There was nothing wrong if it was for a larger public cause, he stressed.
Asking the law students to be the voice of the voiceless and to use their legal knowledge to empower the marginalised people, he advised them to take up legal aid for the poor as a commitment. He also told the budding lawyers to nurture professionalism and ethical conduct, while being fearless and fair when it comes to discharging their duties. “Fight injustice wherever it exists and in whichever manner it is perpetuated,” Naidu added.
Highlighting the need to avoid ambiguity while drafting laws, the Vice President said laws should be simple and uncomplicated. The focus should not only be on the letter but also on the spirit of and the intent behind our laws. “The intent and purpose of the law must be very clear,” he added, according to a PIB release.
Observing that lawyers are capable of bringing about great social transformation, the Vice President said that as a society evolves, so must its laws. “We must constantly introspect and scrutinise our laws from the prism of justice, fairness, equity, compassion and humanity, and must continually reform and update our laws, rules and regulations, he said. Naidu said that laws which do not find a place in a progressive society must be repealed without prejudice and without delay, while modifying others to suit the times. Referring to the New Education Policy, he stressed the need to impart basic primary and upper primary education in mother tongue.
Advising students to remain life-long learners and understand the nuances of our democratic system and the functioning of its institutions and processes, Naidu stressed the need to make policies that are not only legally sound but also morally righteous and socially just.
Justice T Rajani and Justice Battu Devanand, the Judges of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, Prof. P V G D. Prasada Reddy, Vice Chancellor, Andhra University, Prof. S Sumitra, Principal, Dr. B R Ambedkar College of Law, Prof. D.S. Prakasa Rao, Dean, Faculty of Law, Andhra University, Prof. K Gupteswar, Founder Principal, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar College of Law, Dr.P S Rao, Special Adviser, Attorney-General Office, State of Qatar, and others were present on the occasion.