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Happiness Committee for Judicial Officers of Kerala
Context:
Judicial officers in Kerala with professional grievances can now present them to a new Happiness Committee, which will soon begin operating.
About the Happiness Committee:
- The ‘Welfare, Happiness and Grievances of Judicial Officers of District Judiciary’ will be headed by C.S. Dias, a judge of the Kerala High Court.
- Reason for formation:Widespread resentment among judicial officers due to a Kerala High Court decision requiring explanations from around 100 officers who took excessive leave in the current and previous years.
- Grievance Mechanism:The judicial officers can bring up their grievances to the committee through the Registrar (Judicial) of the High Court.
- Mentor System: In addition to the committee, the Kerala High Court has decided to introduce a mentor system for officers on a zonal basis.
Issues with District Judiciary:
- Low Judge-population ratio:21 judges per million vs over 100 per million in the USA.
- Judicial delays,Corruption.
- Appointment – Long appointment cycles
- Infrastructure :Lack of basic facilities and shortfall of courtrooms.
Government Initiatives:
- The National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reforms was set up with the twin objectives of increasing access by reducing delays in the system and enhancing accountability through structural changes and by setting performance standards and capacities.
- E-Courts Project which envisages computerisation of district court .
- Gram Nyayalayas are aimed at providing inexpensive justice to people in rural areas at their doorsteps.
- Nyaya Mitra (NM) aims to facilitate expeditious disposal of 10-15 years old pending cases in High Courts and Subordinate Courts.
- Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Mechanism like Lok Adalat.