The Indian judiciary is considered to be one of the most powerful judiciary systems in the world. The judiciary works for the entitlement and enforcement of people’s rights, making the system more approachable. It also believes in taking good care of the weaker sections of society by providing them with justice as and when required.However, in the last few years, the pendency of cases has increased significantly at many levels in the judicial hierarchy, making it an issue for about 2.5% of the population that is awaiting justice.The judiciary has a major backlog with respect to the cases that can create more barriers. Around 4 crore cases are pending in the judiciary with about 86% of them being in the subordinate courts.

Why are there so many pending cases?

Multiple reasons have caused this situation of pending cases in the system. Some of them include the judiciary not having a sufficient number of judges, filing of false cases, inadequate infrastructure, and administrative issues.Covid-19 is another major issue that has impacted the legal sector immensely, bringing the justice system almost to a standstill. This has further worsened the situation of pendency in legal cases.As of 2020, the pending cases increased by 10% and continued to rise even after the lockdown was lifted.Another major reason for pendency in cases is the filing of false cases in the courts. Such cases lead to a delay in hearings and hamper the functionality of the courts.The right to information and education has made the public more self-aware, which has contributed largely to the rise in the number of cases.

What is the role of young law professionals?

The legal profession in India is the second-largest in the world, with about 1,200 practicing law schools providing law education to 80,000 enrolled students every year.Potential lawyers can contribute to the pending cases significantly.

1. Focus on functionality

Not only can young lawyers help change the vision and practice of law with a new perspective, but they can also improve the functionality of the judiciary.

2. Specialization in various legal fields

India has a high demand for judges, which means potential lawyers could also become judges with relevant skills and practice. Furthermore, these students must specialize in case management, witness management, document management, time management, etc.

3. Structured pedagogy

Law students need to be taught from the very beginning that the true duty is to unite people. More appropriate legal education can lead to a substantial reduction in the pendency of cases in the country.

4. Implementation of fresh perspectives

Being young, these law students are the conscience bearers of the nation. They can help in transparency and rectifying any problem that comes along the way by implementing their fresh and innovative solutions to issues like pendency.

5. Efforts towards the enhancement

The judiciary belongs to the nation. Our potential lawyers can contribute significantly to solve these cases with the knowledge and energy along with sincerity and punctuality that they bring to the table.

It is a long journey towards making the Indian judiciary a better system which can surely be achieved in the long run.

Article by Dr. Sukhvinder Singh Dari, Director, Symbiosis Law School, Nagpur

Article first published here: https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/jobs-and-careers/story/why-india-needs-more-young-lawyers-1804090-2021-05-18