Centre to announce litigation policy soon

Centre to announce litigation policy soon….

KOCHI: Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily said that the Central Government would soon announce its litigation policy and that steps would be taken to implement the policy within three years.

The minister was delivering the valedictory address at the two-day workshop on ‘Administrative Law and Court Procedure’, organised for Central Government counsels and head of the departments of Central Government offices, in Kochi on Sunday.

The policy is being framed to avoid unnecessary litigation. “It is a known fact that the government is one of the biggest litigants. By introducing the litigation policy, the Centre is aiming to be transformed from a compulsive litigant to a responsible and reluctant litigant,” said Moily.

Referring to the apex courts of London and South Africa where pending cases are very few, Moily said that the government wanted to avoid the label of being the ‘biggest litigant country’, within three years.

Chief Justice of Kerala S R Bannurmath presided over the function.

Justice Kurian Joseph, Additional Solicitor General M Raveendran, Assistant Solicitor General T P M Ibrhaim Khan and Central Government counsel K Harilal participated in the function.

Justice K Padmanabhan Nair led the session on ‘Compliance of Court Orders and Contempt of Court Proceedings’ in the morning. Advocate P Santhalingam and Registrar of Companies S M Ameerul Millath spoke on the session.

A memorandum requesting the Central Government to establish a Supreme Court Bench in South India was handed over to Veerappa Moily at the valedictory function by Ibrahim Khan, chairman of the ‘Supreme Court Bench in South India’ Action Committee.

Source:  The New Indian Express

Date: 16.11.2009