Is there anyone to see justice seekers’ agony?

MORE than two lakh cases are now pending with country’s second largest Judge Court in Chattogram resulting in litigants’ sufferings and their wastage of time, local media reported yesterday. The main reason behind increasing the number of cases was filing of more cases compared to fewer disposals. Shortage of judges was another main reason to enhance the cases which resulted in sufferings of the litigants along with wasting their time and money.
Of the total 2,03,052 pending cases; a total of 39,669 cases were pending in Chattogram Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court, 29,879 cases in Chattogram Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court, 18,114 cases in Chattogram District and Session Judge Court, 14,408 cases in Chief Judicial Magistrate Court and 10,0982 cases were pending in Civil Courts. Only 18,587 cases out of 2,21,639 were disposed of different Chattogram courts from January to March. Presently, a total of 15 posts of judges out of 92 were vacant in the Chattogram court and the disposal of cases has become gradually fewer compared to filing of more cases.
We are surprised seeing a huge number of pending cases in Chattogram Courts. It can be easily said that, justice seekers are facing trouble and harassment due to unbelievably slow process of the case disposal. Last year, Law Minister told the Parliament that, more than 33 lakh cases were pending with the higher courts and lower courts across the country. Of these, over 28 lakh cases were pending with the lower courts, while 476,000 with the High Court Division and 16,565 with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court. Some 893,000 cases – 601,000 with lower courts and 292,000 with the higher courts – are pending for at least five years.
It’s clear nothing has changed in this regard. The scenario is all the same this year too. People usually go to the court finding no other ways to solve their problems. But country’s courts are not capable enough to provide appropriate service to the people. We do urge the government to take step for appointing more judges immediately. Lingering of cases can’t be accepted by any means.