On fast track, challenge to keep speed with caution

It’s no secret that the confidence of the people in the police of our country remains abysmally low, and hence the courts of law remain the only place where a common man can truly expect justice. Yet, the snail syndrome marring India's judicial system at all levels has eroded the effectiveness — if not the credibility — of the courts. HT attempts to put the matter into perspective.Do you think fast-track trials in cases of crime against women help deliver justice in an unfair manner?

It’s no secret that the confidence of the people in the police of our country remains abysmally low, and hence the courts of law remain the only place where a common man can truly expect justice. Yet, the snail syndrome marring India's judicial system at all levels has eroded the effectiveness — if not the credibility — of the courts.

HT Image

However, with change gradually washing over our society's misogynist attitudes, and the recent months seeing a spate of cases where women were brutalised in the most inhuman manner, cases of crime against women are being tried on priority. There are demands for daily hearings to be made mandatory in such cases, so that the verdict not only satisfies the ravaged soul of the victim but also serves as a deterrent.

Such demands gain strength as the media senses the public mood and even amplifies it.

Amid all this, there are calls for a judicious assessment of cases, and for a fair look at how effective such quick-fire justice can be. By examining three sets of courts at the district level in the region, HT attempts to put the matter into perspective.