“Bold and Robust District Judiciary is the need of hour”
~Hon’ble Mr. Justice Suryakant
Bilaspur, 08th September 2024: The Chhattisgarh State Judicial Academy under the aegis of High Court of Chhattisgarh proudly hosted a State-Level Conference of Judicial Officers on “Empowering District Judiciary: Insights into Criminal and Civil Laws” on 08th September 2024 at the Auditorium of the High Court, marking another milestone in the achievement of the High Court of Chhattisgarh.
The inaugural session of the conference was graced with the presence of Hon’ble Mr. Justice Surya Kant, Judge, Supreme Court of India as Chief Guest, Hon’ble Mr. Justice P.S. Narasimha, Judge, Supreme Court of India as Special Guest, and Hon’ble Mr. Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra, Judge, Supreme Court of India as Distinguished Guest.
The inaugural session commenced with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp by Chief Guest Hon’ble Mr. Justice Surya Kant, Judge, Supreme Court of India. The Chief Justice of the High Court of Chhattisgarh, Hon’ble Mr. Justice Ramesh Sinha, delivered a heartfelt welcome address to the Dignitaries and Participants.
Hon’ble Mr. Justice Surya Kant, in his special address, emphasized the role of the District Judiciary as the first point of contact with litigants in Civil and Criminal litigation at the threshold level. He stressed the role of Trial Judges in dealing with procedural technicalities and practical challenges posed by the District Judiciary. His Lordship expressed that Judges from District Judiciary are accountable firstly to the High Court, their own conscience, and most importantly to the public at large as consumers of Justice.
Hon’ble Mr. Justice Surya Kant urged the Judicial Officers that any procedural technicalities and impediments can’t hinder the zeal and commitment to arrive upon logical conclusions and decision-making of a Judge. He stressed that rather than adopting an individual approach towards any impediments, it should be addressed with an institutional approach towards effective redressal of such impediments. He also emphasized the need of the hour to address and discourage frivolous and chance litigations at the threshold level through a strong and bold District Judiciary. Hon’ble Mr. Justice Surya Kant’s speech was a call to action, reminding attendees of their noble responsibilities and inspiring them to strive for boldness, excellence, and integrity in their duties.
Hon’ble Mr. Justice P. S. Narasimha, in his keynote address, emphasized that the Constitution of India recognizes District Courts not as just statutory courts but as Constitutional functionaries, as its origin is embedded in the Constitution of India. He stressed that District Judiciary provides a primary and most accessible interface for a litigant in terms of linguistic and geographical accessibility. He expressed that District Courts act as the first Guardian of personal liberty in both Civil and Criminal domains.
Hon’ble Mr. Justice P. S. Narasimha also stressed the Empowerment of a Judge through equipping a Judge with Knowledge by bestowing him with needful resources and technological accessibility. He highlighted a Judge’s pivotal role in Judicial decision-making with Reasoning and cautioned that the Judicial Decision-making process must not be entirely dependent upon the use of technology or Artificial Intelligence as the same may adversely impact human decision-making and reasoning at certain points of time.
Hon’ble Mr. Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra, during his address, quoted that Civil and Criminal Laws are pillars of the whole Judicial System, and insights into Civil and Criminal laws become more significant with the introduction of new laws. Highlighting the importance of the role of District Judiciary, Hon’ble Mr. Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra said that law is interpreted and developed by High Courts and Supreme Courts based upon the foundation towards a new approach or interpretation put forth by District Courts.
In his introductory and welcome address, Hon’ble Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha expressed his profound honor and privilege in welcoming the Distinguished Guests from the Supreme Court of India, Hon’ble Mr. Justice Surya Kant, Hon’ble Mr. Justice P. S. Narasimha, and Hon’ble Mr. Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra. Highlighting the importance of the State Level Conference, Hon’ble Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha expressed that “Our objective through this conference is to foster a robust platform for the exchange of knowledge, experiences, and best practices among judges and judicial officers.” He emphasized that the conference symbolizes a shared commitment to enriching and reinforcing the core of the Justice Delivery System – The District Judiciary, and the synergy of minds would pave the way for innovative solutions and strategies for a more effective and efficient District Judiciary.
A Book titled “District Courts of Chhattisgarh” highlighting the diversity in geography, culture, and people with information about various District Courts across the State and scholarly articles from Judicial Officers was also unveiled during the Conference.
The inaugural session shared commitments to address the pressing issues faced by the District judiciary and to collaboratively seek solutions that will enhance the delivery of justice in Chhattisgarh. The conference aims to explore innovative strategies, share best practices, and envision a path forward to strengthen the judiciary. The inaugural session concluded with a Vote of Thanks proposed by Hon’ble Mr. Justice Sanjay K Agrawal.
The Inaugural Session was followed by Technical Sessions. The First Technical Session was chaired by Hon’ble Mr. Justice Sanjay K. Agrawal and Hon’ble Mr. Justice Arvind Kumar Verma, wherein presentations were given by Civil Judges Mr. Dilli Singh Baghel, Mrs. Shweta Shrivastava, Mrs. Neha Yati Mishra, and Mr. Sarva Vijay Agrawal. The Second Technical Session was chaired by Hon’ble Mr. Justice Naresh Kumar Chandravanshi and Hon’ble Mr. Justice Sachin Singh Rajput, wherein presentations were given by Principal District Judge Mr. Vijay Kumar Hota, Mrs. Sushma Sawant, Mr. Maneesh Kumar Thakur, and District Judge Mrs. Neeru Singh. During these technical sessions, challenges and innovative solutions for Civil and Criminal trial proceedings before District Judiciary were specifically addressed.
The State Level Conference concluded with a Valedictory address delivered by Hon’ble Mr. Justice Parth Prateem Sahu.
Hon’ble Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Hon’ble Judges of the Supreme Court, who spared their valuable time for gracing the event with their presence and insights. He also expressed his thanks to Hon’ble Sister and Brother Judges of the High Court, Participant Judicial Officers, Registry Officers, Officers of CSJA, Print and Electronic media, and all stakeholders who directly or indirectly contributed towards the historic success of this State Level Conference.
