CHANDIGARH: The Haryana Government has yet again voiced their demand for a separate high court for the state, along with an equal representation of Punjab and Haryana in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar took up the topic while speaking at a function after inaugurating an e-Library set up in the court complex.
Responding to the demand for a separate bench of the high court for Hisar raised by the advocates, Khattar said the decision on the creation of a separate bench would be taken by the judges of the Supreme Court, the high court, and the Union government. If the demands of the state government are met, demands made by Hisar advocates would also be met. Khattar urged the advocates to provide cheap, convenient and immediate services to the people, especially the poor. As the poor can't afford expensive legal fees, the state government has constituted legal services authorities at the district level to provide assistance to such persons, he said.
The newly inaugurated e-library would provide resources such as transcripts of judgments delivered by judges in other states too. Khattar said that proceedings of the Supreme Court and high courts should be telecast live on television on the pattern of the telecast of proceedings of Parliament and Assemblies. “In the Hindi-speaking areas, the court proceedings should be in Hindi and, in the non-Hindi speaking areas, it should be in regional languages.” The government, the Chief Minister said, had earmarked £8 million for the expansion of judicial infrastructure in the state. He appreciated the Students Legal Literacy Mission and efforts of the HSLSA.
