CJI Ramana chairs 39th conference of chief justices today, joint meet of CMs and CJs tomorrow

Besides the chief justices and acting chief justices, justices U U Lalit and A M Khanwilkar, who are the two most senior puisne judges of the apex court, will attend Friday’s meeting.

Chief Justice of India N V Ramana is chairing the 39th conference of chief justices in New Delhi today. This will be followed by the joint conference of chief justices and chief ministers at Vigyan Bhavan on Saturday, which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Today’s meeting is being held at the Supreme Court premises and will review the progress on resolutions passed in the last conference held in 2016, and consider the steps needed to improve the justice delivery system.

Besides the chief justices and acting chief justices, justices U U Lalit and A M Khanwilkar, who are the two most senior puisne judges of the apex court, will attend Friday’s meeting, an official statement said.

Both such conferences are being held after a gap of six years. The first chief justices conference was held in November 1953.

This edition will also take up issues of development of IT infrastructure for district courts, permanent cadre of computer officials for IT needs of district courts, transmission of orders and judgments through email to all stakeholders, use of artificial intelligence for quick disposal, the statement read.

“It will also look at efficient human resources management and augmenting strength of judicial officers and subordinate staff in district courts, establishment of judicial infrastructure authorities at the national and state levels to act as special purpose vehicles for development of infrastructure in district courts, institutionalisation of pre-litigation mediation and expediting the process of appointment of judges to High Courts,” it added.

Earlier this month, CJI Ramana had said that the performance of the justice delivery system, like all other organisations, must be assessed in terms of effectiveness in achieving its goals, “which is timely justice as contemplated in the Constitution”.