New Delhi, July 13: To ameliorate the sufferings of senior citizens and women stung by the slow process of justice delivery system, the Centre has asked the states to transfer cases involving persons over 60 years of age and the offences against women to fast track courts. "It is necessary that in the order of disposal of cases due priority is goven to more vulnerable segments of the population - the senior citizens and the women victims," Law Minister Arun Jaitley said.
In a recent letter to chief ministers of the states, Jaitley said as it would not be possible to create additional courts for these sections immediately, all pending cases involving senior citizens and cases pertaining to sexual abuse and matrimonial cases against women be transferred to FTCs. The minister said he had been receiving thousands of representations from old persons venting their grievance against the slow process of justice delivery system.
Taking note of their grievance, the minister has asked the states to draw an action plan in consultation with the high courts for transfer of their cases to FTCs. FTCs, brain child of Jaitley, were first set up in April 1, 2001 to provide faster disposal for long pending sessions cases and those pertaining to accused who had been behind bar for a longer time without completion of trial.
Of the 1734 proposed FTCs, to be set up under 100 per cent funding by the Centre, only 1394 have been notified by various states so far. Bureau Report