Fast Track Special Courts: Ending the pending?

Supreme Court of India

 Since 1986, the Indian Supreme court has acknowledged quick trial like a fundamental human right. We understand how this has played out like in actuality in the last 30 years. Cases keep expanding to stagnate, pendency worsens, as well as an increasing number of Indians are denied the advantages with a well legal system that provides prompt fairness.

Due to the enormous number of vacancies in almost all courts of law, as well as an ever-increasing number of petitioners and people seeking Court assistance, this has sometimes appeared to be an unsolvable problem. One solution to the issue of pending cases and speeding up the delivery of system in India has always been the establishment of specialized Fast Track Courts.

Fast Track Courts

Fast Track Courts are advisory institutions established to cope with a specific sort of issue, such as advisory courts established to handle with cases that involve sexual harassment or POSCO, for instance. Fast Track Courts were established just after eleventh Finance Act recommended in 2000 for establishment of 17,234 fast – tracked courts to facilitate the speedy disposition of ongoing matters in subordinate courts. In response to this proposal, the Ministry Of finance granted state Rs. 502.90 crore as a “special problem and ongoing development fund”.

Fast Track Courts were to have been formed more by individual state and local governments in conjunction with the relevant high court, with about 5 such tribunals to be formed in each region across the nation. For context, India currently has 718 districts, that could shows the figure of Fast Track Courts in the country at about 3,100 in an optimistic solution.

In fact, we only have around 800 of them operational right now. Furthermore, in 2003 and 2008, the National Law Commission suggested the establishment of fixed Fast Track Courts for business disputes and informal Fast Track Courts for many other offences.

The justices in these tribunals were to have been chosen by the appropriate High Court, with applicants selected largely among 3 categories — Advancement of individuals from among current, qualified Judicial Authorities, Former High Court Judges, and Members of the State Bar Councils.

Reaction By States

Mostly during 2000-11 period, the Union Government gave Rs. 870 crores to all individual states. The Central agreed to terminate financing those courts in 2011, a move that states contested in the Supreme Court. Finally, after originally opting not to, the Union Government was forced to maintain a portion of central financing for the programme for the next five years as part of the Supreme Court’s decision in the Brij Mohan Lal case.

Funds Granted To The Fast Track Courts

The Government of India granted financing limited to a total of Rs. 80 crores every year, but only if the states matched the money as an excellent outcome. Many governments opted to eliminate these courts entirely. Even by completion of this five-year term, the 14th Finance Commission had proposed the establishment of 1,800 Fast Track Courts around the country during the next 5 years.

Such tribunals were to hear a variety of offences concerning children, women, old persons, and others, and some civil issues. The extra fees associated were projected to be Rs. 4,144 crores, which the commission compensated for in the result of enhanced tax devolution. According to current data, over 60percent of the total of the Fast Track Courts suggested by the Finance Commission have yet to be established. In reality, 15 states and union territories just don’t have a single Fast Track Court.

Several governments have clearly decided not to establish similar courts. This really is despite the reality that such courts were supposed to be established up with sole goal of coping with horrendous acts, particularly those involving women and kids.

Result of Fast Track Courts

They operate for a really sole mission and operate on an incredibly easy concept – specific courts entrusted with administering justice to people in need for certain categories and types of crimes in a timely and effective manner. Given this backdrop, it is perplexing to accept that, according to available evidence, Fast Track Courts have produced poorer outcomes than regular courts in India.

According to NCRB statistics for 2018, 78 percent of the approximately 28,000 cases investigated in Fast Track Courts throughout the nation that same year required and over a year to conclude, placing trial courts just at foot of the scale in regards to time required between all courts in India. In reality, 42 percent of trials lasted longer than 3 years, and 17 percent of all cases lasted more than just a generation to conclude.

Number of Fast Track Courts In Each State

The System’s Design Flaws

The issue, therefore, becomes, how is the Centre providing more substantial funding to the already capable states? Clearly, there is an underlying fault in the program’s architecture, which ignores the reference current of the states. To be qualified for Central funding, individual states must present a consumption report at the end of the financial year demonstrating that the preceding year’s funding has been depleted. Because this comprises the state’s contribution of 40%, states that are unable to invest huge sums of money in court equipment may be disqualified next year.

In fact, Chhattisgarh and Odisha received no funding between 2015 and 2018. Furthermore, even if certain states can assign their appropriate portions, producing a consumption proof for the total amount provided during the year is challenging. If only a portion of it is used, it decreases the amount allocated to them the next year. This entails obtaining various clearances, contracting the project, and carrying it out. Cost and time delays are typical.

Several High Courts claim that, to meet the scheme’s requirements, the consumption report is solely based on the movement of money to the Public Works Department (PWD) or the application development agency, regardless of whether or not the real work has begun.

Recent Decision By Supreme Court

The Union Cabinet authorised the continuance of 1,023 fast track special courts, comprising 389 special POCSO tribunals, as a government-funded initiative for a further 2 years on Wednesday. Reacting to a query just before a Cabinet meeting, Union minister Anurag Thakur stated that 28 of the 31 states and union territories had begun the plan.

West Bengal is among the districts that have yet to implement the plan, he said, adding, “We are confident they would start it shortly.” The plan will run from April 1, 2021,, to March 31, 2023, with a budget of Rs 1572.86 crore (Rs 971.70 crore for the central portion and Rs 601.16 crore for the state part), according to a public announcement.