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HomeIndiaGovernanceTrust govt decision-making on Covid, need to avoid overzealous PILs: Minister to...

Trust govt decision-making on Covid, need to avoid overzealous PILs: Minister to law officers

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told law officers that while nobody can be stopped from filing cases, there should be an ‘effective response’ to them.

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New Delhi: Union Minister for Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad Sunday interacted with a team of law officers headed by Attorney General K.K. Venugopal, emphasising on the need to trust the government’s decision-making process on Covid-19.

He also said there should be an “effective response” to “overzealous PILs”.

Apart from Venugopal, the interaction included Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, all additional solicitors general and assistant solicitors general, as well as the secretaries of the departments of legal affairs and justice.

According to a press statement, the meeting was conducted through video conference, and began with Prasad apprising the law officers of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts in arriving at a suitable response to the pandemic.

“The minister specially emphasised that addressing such a serious pandemic throws up complicated and sensitive nature of challenges, which the governance system has responded (to), and it will be appropriate that this decision-making process of the Government of India and the state governments (be) trusted,” it stated.

The release added that Venugopal “supported this view”, and asserted that “courts need to appreciate this”.

On his part, Mehta spoke about the orders being passed by the Supreme Court lately, which have upheld the guidelines issued by the government.

Additionally, Prasad highlighted the need to avoid “overzealous PILs”. Acknowledging that nobody can be stopped from filing cases, he asserted that there should be an “effective response” to such interventions.


Also read: How lockdown has hit judiciary, in numbers — April cases fall to 82k from 14 lakh avg in 2019


Video-conference hearings are here to stay

The statement said the attendees were informed that there has been a significant growth in the number of lawyers who have registered for e-filing of cases during the lockdown. Out of the 1,282 lawyers who registered during the lockdown, 543 registered in the last one week.

They were also told about the coordination system available in the law ministry on cases related to Covid-19, and there was a consensus on the need for Supreme Court orders being immediately conveyed to various high courts.

The law officers emphasised on the need to strengthen the e-courts system, address connectivity issues, and train lawyers in e-courts management.

They acknowledged that court proceedings through video conference might remain a norm for some time, in view of the pandemic.


Also read: Use video conference to finish Babri trial against Advani, Uma by 31 August: SC to CBI court


 

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