Set up fast track courts for crimes on women, CJI tells HCs

Amid the national outrage over the brutal gang-rape and murder of a young woman on a New Delhi bus in mid-December, Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir has written to all the nation's high courts asking them to set up fast-track courts to speed up trials of crimes against women.

The delay in disposing of such cases might be one of the factors for the rise in crimes against women, said CJI Kabir in his letter to all the chief justices of high courts, adding that the time has come to deal expeditiously with such cases.

He has asked the high courts of all states to coordinate with state governments for the infrastructure needed to commission these special courts.

The CJI said the high court chief justices should get in touch with the state governments for appointment of judicial officers but in the meantime some court should be designated as fast-track courts to exclusively deal with offences against women.

"I feel that steps should be taken immediately to set up fast track courts to deal exclusively with cases of offences against women.

"In this regard, you may identify the number of requisite posts required to be created at the level of sessions judges as well as magistrates, and thereafter, the matter may be taken up with the state governments/union territoriezs concerned, with promptitude, to increase the number of posts, not only of judicial officers but also of support staffs and infrastructure.