On the afternoon of 1st March, 2014, Shri Narendra Modi addressed the closing ceremony of the Golden Jubilee celebrations of Bar Council of India, at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar.
Convergence of technology and the judicial system was cited as the need-of-the-hour by Shri Modi, while addressing a large gathering of legal experts who had come from across the country. Calling for the need to go digital, Shri Modi emphasized on making online as many activities as possible.
Affirming the need for mapping of the litigations, through the combined efforts of universities and social scientists, Shri Modi said that bringing about a transformation in the judicial system was required. He also cited the need to adopt online analysis of legal cases, and emphasized on disseminating judicial knowledge to the common man. This, Shri Modi stated, could be achieved by promoting a special judicial TV channel or having a weekly session through the electronic media, wherein cases and their verdicts are shared. He further opined that this way we could develop a perfect counselling system.
Shri Modi spoke highly of the role played by forensic sciences in the judicial system, and underscored the need to strengthen this further.
Stating the significance of providing good facilities to the legal fraternity, be it in the form of budget provision or infrastructure, Shri Modi spoke of how the Government can play a key role in ensuring this and cited how the e-library facilities provided to talukas in Gujarat had gone a long way in strengthening the State’s judiciary.
Shri Modi highlighted the significance of having a policy-driven government and how this could be an effective way of decreasing discrimination and thereby lowering the scope for litigation. He added that only good governance could ensure a policy-driven government, and this in turn, would promote delivery of quality justice.
Recalling Mahatma Gandhi’s thought of providing justice to the last person, Shri Modi urged the legal fraternity to work effectively towards ensuring this.
Dignitaries and renowned names from the legal fraternity present on the occasion included Hon’ble Justice K. S. Panicker Radhakrishnan (Judge, Supreme Court of India), Hon’ble Anil R. Dave (Judge, SCI), Hon’ble Justice Sudhansu Jyoti Mukhopadhaya (Judge, SCI), Hon’ble Justice Jasti Chelameswar (Judge, SCI), Hon’ble Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri (Judge, SCI), Hon’ble Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya (Chief Justice of Gujarat), Hon’ble Justice Mohit Shantilal Shah (Chief Justice of Maharashtra & Goa), Shri Bhupendrasinh Chaudasama (Minister of Law and Justice, Government of Gujarat) and Shri Manan Kumar Mishra (Chairman, Bar Council of India).
