India’s Chief Justice, DY Chandrachud, stated on Sunday that the Supreme Court is always striving to make legal procedures more user-friendly and straightforward so that people don’t spend needless time behind bars. According to CJI, President Droupadi Murmu brought up the issue of jail overcrowding and the incarceration of people from underprivileged backgrounds on Constitution Day of last year.
Responding to that, CJI said, “Madam President, I want to assure you that we are constantly working to ensure that legal processes become easier and simplified, so that citizens do not languish in jails unnecessarily. The version 2.0 of the FASTER initiative that will be launched today ensures that judicial orders of release of a person are immediately transferred to jail authorities via electronic means, so that the person is released on time.”
Furthermore, the Chief Justice stated that the Supreme Court has been deliberating on cases concerning the rights of prisoners, overcrowding, and other related issues. He also assigned the Court’s research center the responsibility of devising a project aimed at enhancing the prison environment. Speaking at the Supreme Court’s Constitution Day celebration, Chief Justice Chandrachud stated that the intention behind these efforts has been to make sure the public believes that the judiciary, as a constitutional institution, is serving their interests.
“Today, on the occasion of Constitution Day, I want to tell the people of India that the doors of the Supreme Court have always been open for you and will remain open in future also. You never need to be afraid of coming to court,” CJI said.