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The deliberated conference on ‘Rule of Law’ concluded today after nine-day deliberations by over fifty panelists. The valedictory session was Chaired - Shri Justice Kurian Joseph, Former Judge, Supreme Court of India, and attended by Shri Prithviraj Chavan, Former Chief Minister, Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan, General Secretary, Foundation for Democratic Reforms, and Prof. K.C. Suri, University of Hyderabad, Shri. D.N.V. Kumara Guru, Director of External Relations at Indian School of Business (ISB). 

This conference on Rule Of Law was deliberated with insights from eminent panelist who are known authorities in their respective fields. This elaborate conference covered the topics of (1) Addressing Challenges of Modern Policing; (2) Strengthening Investigation and Prosecution; (3) Criminal Procedural Reforms;  (4) Civil Procedural Reforms;(5) Speedy Justice in Trial Courts; (6) Strengthening the Role of Constitutional Courts; (7) Judicial Standards and Accountability.  In addition, other critical subject matters were discussed.  They were (1) Conversation on Extraordinary Law; (2) Conversation on Weaponization of Fake News: A Threat to Democracy?; (3) Conversation on Women's Safety; (4) Conversation on Setting up Systems to deal with Cybercrime; (5) Rule of Law & Economic Growth. 

Justice Kurien Joseph presented the opening remarks for the session.  The institutions of Rule of Law are shaken when it cannot serve our fellow citizens.  The judiciary should be insulated and be independent for the institutions to serve.  All measures should be taken such that confidence in Rule of Law is retained. Rule of law entails  Legal Certainty, Equality before Law, Law must guarantee adequate protection of Fundamental Rights, Governments must exercise Limited Power, Fairness in Adjudication, Observance of International Law

Shri. Prithviraj Chavan shared his perspective from practicing politician. He complimented the document brought out by the Foundation of Democratic Reforms. Having a consistent and fair application of law to all is needed for a healthy society.  He suggested compulsory internships for law students to gain practical knowledge of their respective works. Given the literacy rates it might take more time for people to know their rights.  This means rule of law must be judiciously applied and protected. It is critical to get political parties on board to achieve this.

Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan stated that Rule of Law was chosen as the theme for the conference as it is imperative in the present times. While democracy struck roots in India, there are serious deficiencies. Justice and democracy are inseparable, and rule of law is the most vital requirement to protect citizens and accelerate democratic revolution. This conference over nine days shows optimism because we have a functioning democracy and the problems are not impossible to overcome.  He congratulated all the participants for the depth and insights they shared. There is a viable roadmap for improving rule of law in our country and resources to achieve it are also within reach.  It is critical to get all the stakeholders jurists, police, politicians and civil society on board, and convince all the interested parties of the immediate need for reforms in rule of law. On this front, a broad consensus has been reached from the deliberations in the conference and the main elements are presented in the form of Hyderabad Declaration 2021.

THE HYDERABAD DECLARATION 2021

Over the course of the past nine days, broad consensus was reached upon a set of meaningful, well-thought out reforms that can go a long way in restoring public faith in the justice system and ensuring public order and safety: 

1. The police force needs to be strengthened with adequate personnel to effectively meet the growing challenges of a modern society and enhance public trust in police, with a proportion of officers embedded in the community to promote communication and collaboration with the citizenry.

2. A professional course in policing must be developed as a mandatory requirement at the entry level for effective training, to facilitate specialized and efficient functioning of the police force. 

3. Forensic infrastructure needs to be scaled up to meet present day requirements, with adequate facilities available at each administrative level - the police circle, the subdivision, the district and the state, as well as major urban centers based on the population, crime rate, and nature of crimes. 

4. An independent, well-equipped, and accountable crime investigation agency needs to be created, separate from the law and order department, to investigate crimes above a certain threshold, such as, crimes punishable by a maximum of 3 years of imprisonment. 

5. A strong system of prosecution, at the district level, must be instituted such that the competence, stature of prosecution, independence, public trust and coordination of investigator, prosecutor and the judge are assured. 

6. Criminal Procedural Laws must be amended to rationalise and simplify trial procedures, ensure effective investigation with transparency and accountability, protect the rights of victims, enhance the role of the judge in the trial process, and recognize non-custodial punishments when appropriate. 

7. Measures to reform the civil justice system must be based on an empirical analysis of both the supply and demand side of the ecosystem. On the supply end, increasing the judicial resources is necessary. The demand side of the spectrum calls for limiting the scope for appeals, adjournments, and interim orders, and introducing a case management system to ensure speedy and efficient trial through mechanisms such as a sunset clause on interim orders and ‘outcome date certainty’. 

8. Adequate resources, including more, well-trained judges and sufficient physical infrastructure, must be allocated and effectively utilized to make the judiciary accessible to the ordinary citizens, in terms of proximity, cost of litigation, and summary disposal of cases. Local courts with summary procedures dealing with simple cases as an integral part of the independent justice system will make justice accessible and affordable to the bulk of the poor, and ensure speedy delivery of justice, relieving the higher trail courts of excessive case load and pendency.

9. The efficiency and efficacy of the District Courts and the Constitutional Courts can be enhanced by setting up a robust court administration system, including appointment of highly competent judicial managers and judicial clerks, allowing judges to focus on matters of adjudication and improving professionalism in the administrative functions.

10. The Constitutional Courts must be strengthened by limiting their jurisdiction to their primary role, that is the interpretation of the Constitution and substantial questions of law. This may be achieved by setting up Permanent Constitutional Benches in courts, reducing the number of appeals and revision petitions, and prioritizing clearing the current backlog. Ad hoc judges may be appointed according to Article 224A of the Constitution to dispose of the backlog.

11. There is a need to attract best talent into the judiciary at the Trial Court level and the Constitutional Courts. Therefore, remuneration for judges, the service conditions and the prestige of office, all should be significantly enhanced to make judgeship aspirational for bright young lawyers. A nationwide competitive, meritocratic recruitment with an assured fast track for elevation based on performance would go a long way in attracting talent. 

12. A permanent mechanism for ensuring judicial standards and accountability in the higher courts must be established to address issues of misconduct. Guidelines for the same have already been laid down in the Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill 2010, which lapsed in 2012. 

Prof. K.C Suri congratulated the organisers for the conference.  This is another great endeavour in our country to achieve Rule of Law. Any rule by the discretion of the ruler is not in the interest of the society and for which rule of law is important.  Rule of law is also necessary for nation building and national unity.  

Shri. Kumara Guru of ISB congratulated the team for organizing this important and urgently needed conference.  Education and research institutions should encourage such deliberations for well-being of the society.