Book Review: 'Tareekh Pe Justice: Reforms for India’s District Courts' by Prashant Reddy T and Chitrakshi Jain

'Tareekh Pe Justice: Reforms for India’s District Courts' takes this all-too-familiar phrase from the iconic film Damini and turns it into a rallying cry for change. This book isn’t just a dry analysis of India’s judiciary—it’s a heartfelt wake-up call and enumerated solutions for fixing a system that’s buckling under its own weight.

 

India’s district courts serve as the backbone of the judicial system, handling the bulk of civil and criminal cases. The book presents a comprehensive analysis of the systemic issues that hinder timely justice and explores the various facets of judicial reforms that can make courts more efficient, transparent, and accessible.

 

The author examines the procedural bottlenecks, infrastructure deficiencies, and manpower shortages that cripple India’s courts. The book raises pertinent questions as to why India is yet to develop a system to publish accurate and meaningful statistics in the 21st century which is deeply worrying. The blame for this failure falls squarely upon the judiciary and the culture of opacity cultivated at the highest level of the institution. The writers suggested a law to be made wherein obligation needs to be imposed on judiciary to publish quality judicial statistics.

 

On the issue of how many judges India actually needs, the writers suggested that India needs to replicate the legislative idea from California, which imposes upon the state judicial administration the duty to mandatorily submit a report every two years to the legislature, detailing the need for additional courts and judges.  

 

The book also highlights the need for Parliament to lay down a clear financial accountability framework mandating the judiciary to respond to audit objections by CAG, with clear penalties for a failure to do so in a timely manner. 

 

One of the book’s core discussions is that Parliament should create an exclusive commission, staffed with professionals, to receive and process complaints against the district judiciary in a transparent manner. A full time commission, along with a clear code of conduct for the district judiciary, is vital to assure both the judges and the public that judges will be held accountable in a fair and transparent manner.

 

The book emphasises on the speed and efficiency of justice and how that should be the primary objectives of any judicial reforms. The writers stated that it would be a mistake to forget that quality of justice matters as much as speed. Procedural integrity is the key to improving the quality of justice dispensed in Indian courtrooms.

 

Tareekh Pe Justice is a well-researched, insightful, and urgent call for judicial reforms in Indian courts. Its blend of research, storytelling, and practical solutions makes it essential reading for all stakeholders.

 

Book: Tareekh pe justice- reforms for India’s district courts

 

Author : Prashant Reddy T and Chitrakshi Jain

 

Publisher : Simon & Schuster

 

Pages: 270

 

Price: ₹799 (Paperback)

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