I'm always surprised as to why non-judicial minds are given authority to decide litigations. I'm practicing at District Kathua (J&K) since last more than nine years. According to the J&K laws, the revenue appeals are heard by the revenue officers, who either are the IAS or KAS Officers. And to everyone's surprise only 5 to 10% of these Officers do possess the knowledge of law. To add the chaos, I must tell you, all of these Officers are entrusted with the primary job of Administration and they are so occupied in their Administrative jobs that they hardly find time to dispose off the litigations/appeals and concequently the judicial files are piling up in the Revenue Courts and the disposal is almost negligible. Most of the times, the litigants find that the Officer is busy in attending the meeting involving the agenda of administration, like to discuss the measures of any calamity, prepare for the Minister's visit, prepare for the Board Meeting, Issues involving tranquility, etc, etc...
My suggestion to the Government is that why not a special post be created at the District or Sub-District level, headed by the Presiding Officer having the knowledge of law and entrusted with the exclusive authority to dispose off the litigations only. In this way, the long pending matters would be easily disposed off and the litigants would also get speedy justice, afterall we have been grown up listening "Justice delayed is Justice denied".
I hope through this blog, the eminent and busy lawyers may get time to think on these notes.
Thanks for the patient reading. The comments of the readers are solicited.