Advocates oppose proposed village courts

Anantapur: Opposing the establishment of Gram Nyayalayayas, advocates staged protest on November 28 and 29.

Setting up of village courts was first mooted by YS Rajasekhara Reddy government in 2008, to bring down pendency of civil cases and help in speedy disposal of minor civil cases, and the Nyayalaya Act was passed in 2008. When advocates raised hue and cry, the then government kept the Act in abeyance.

Now the TDP government has decided to implement Nyayalaya Act and establish them at village level. As a pilot project, it was decided to implement the Act in four villages in the district and later expand to the remaining villages and later on in selected villages in all the districts in the State.

Anantapur Bar Association president P Guru Prasad told The Hans India that advocates are against the implementation of the Act on the premises that it will be impossible for advocates to carry on mobile operations to argue their clients cases moving from village to village instead of confining themselves to a single court. The Bas Association is urging the government to reconsider its proposal.

He opined that the village courts, instead of bringing down pendency of cases, will create confusion among advocates camp. The experiment of mobile courts to conduct proceedings in villages is a failed experiment, he added.

Further, he noted that disposal of cases by mobile courts may further delay the disposal, as lawyers may not able to attend the case on the particular day in villages.

For the aforesaid reasons and many other reasons, Bar Association members unanimously stated that in the larger interest of justice establishment of village courts will not serve the promotion of justice, much less to reduce the pendency of litigation and took disposal of cases. They decided to submit a representation to the Chief Justice and State High Court and the Chief Minister to reconsider the decision.