THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary-April 4, 2017- Topic 1
On the executive sharing judiciary's burden
The importance of cooperation between the executive and the
judiciary in dealing with the unacceptably high number of pending cases in the
country cannot be overemphasised. For over a year, there were indications of an
impasse over judicial appointments between the two branches of the state,
mainly after the Supreme Court struck down legislation to establish a National
Judicial Appointments Commission.
That phase appears to be coming to an end.
Prime Minister narendramodi’s assurance to the Chief Justice of India, J.S.
Khehar, that his government would contribute its share in reducing the
judiciary’s burden is a positive gesture that will be welcomed by the legal
fraternity. Speaking at a function to mark the 150th anniversary of the
Allahabad High Court, Mr. Modi gave the assurance after observing the pain
behind the words of Justice Khehar over the increasing backlog of cases.
Justice Khehar’s “dilkibaat (talk from the heart)” on the problem underscored an
institutional anguish that has gripped the judiciary over time. Successive
Chief Justices have brought to the government’s notice the state of affairs
with regard to both the alarming docket situation and the chronic shortage of
judicial hands in the superior and subordinate judiciary. The previous Chief
Justice of India, T.S. Thakur, had highlighted the point in public functions as
well as during judicial hearings, once even wondering if the government wanted
to bring the judiciary to a grinding halt by its reluctance to fill up
vacancies. If the Prime Minister’s latest remarks represent a fresh resolve not
to let such an impression gain ground, it will surely represent a new beginning
in the executive-judiciary relationship.
Mr. Modi did not spell out whether his assurance to
contribute to the process meant his government would expedite the process of
appointing judges, but there is no doubt that this will be the most significant
contribution as well as the government’s responsibility. Official figures show
there are as many as 437 vacancies in the High Courts alone as of March 1,
2017. It is incontestable that any effort to liquidate the arrears of cases
would involve a significant increase in the speed at which judicial
appointments are processed. Mr. Modi also spoke of the use of technology and
digitalisation in the judicial system, a point that is of undoubted relevance
when one considers the magnitude of the task of reducing the backlog. There is
much that the use of technology can do in both liquidating arrears and
expediting processes such as filing of documents and serving of notices.
Meanwhile, reports suggest that the government and the Supreme Court Collegium
may be close to agreeing on a new Memorandum of Procedure for judicial appointments.
If differences that caused a prolonged stand-off are eliminated and a new
procedure agreed upon, there cannot be better tidings for the institution.
Vocabulary
Overemphasised: place excessive
emphasis on.
Example: The importance of
adequate preparation cannot be overemphasized
Synonyms: place/lay
too much emphasis on, overstress, place/lay too much stress on
Assurance: a positive
declaration intended to give confidence; a promise.
Example: He gave an
assurance that work would not recommence until Wednesday
Synonyms: word of
honor, word, promise, pledge, vow, avowal, oath, bond
Gesture: a movement of part
of the body, especially a hand or the head, to express an idea or meaning.
Example: Alex made a
gesture of apology
Synonyms: signal, sign, motion, indication, gesticulation, show
Fraternity: a group of people
sharing a common profession or interests.
Example: Members of the
hunting fraternity
Synonyms: profession, body
of workers, band, group, set, circle
Anguish: severe mental or
physical pain or suffering.
Example: She shut her eyes
in anguish
Synonyms: agony, pain, torment, torture, suffering, distress, angst, misery
Chronic: persisting for a
long time or constantly recurring.
Example: Chronic bronchitis
Synonyms: persistent, long-standing, long-term, incurable, immedicable
Reluctance: unwillingness or
disinclination to do something.
Example: She sensed his
reluctance to continue
Synonyms: unwillingness, disinclination, hesitation, wavering, vacillation, doubts
Liquidate: wind up the
affairs of (a company or firm) by ascertaining liabilities and apportioning
assets.
Example: Its retail
business was ultimately liquidated in 2000.
Synonyms: close
down, wind up, put into liquidation, dissolve, disband
Tidings: news; information.
Example: The bearer of glad
tidings
Synonyms: news, information, intelligence, word, reports, dispatches, notification