Not enough to allot elderly comfortable seats in buses, real honour is to render speedy justice to them: Andhra Pradesh High Court

The Andhra Pradesh High Court recently expresssed concern over the delay in disposing of cases involving elderly litigants and directed judicial officers to dispose of such cases without delay.."...at the fag-end of their life, they have to feel happy and they have to get fruits of the litigation by rendering speedy justice to them..," Justice Battu Devanand observed while disposing of a civil revision petition from a property dispute dating back to 2002..The Judge observed:."It is not sufficient to respect and honour the senior citizens in the late evening of their life by giving some concessions in bus, rail and Air fares and giving priority in allotting lower births (berths) in the trains and comfortable seats in buses. The real respect and honour to the senior citizens is to render speedy justice to them for which they would have a legitimate expectation.".Justice Devanand referred to various circulars issued by the High Court of Andhra Pradesh that directed the State’s judicial officers to “identify and dispose of matters in which persons above '65 years' of age are involved on priority basis.”.Despite such specific instructions, the pendency of cases relating to senior citizens remained high, the Court noted, adding,"In some cases, the concerned Courts are adjourning the cases years together without disposing of the same. The present case is one of the best examples.".The repeated adjournments given in this case for over nine years was unreasonable and contrary to the procedure contemplated by law, the Bench said. The Court further emphasised that it is the duty of courts to ensure that priority is given to senior citizens for the early disposal of any litigation concerning them in order to “enable them to enjoy the fruits of litigation during their life time.".Justice Devanand invoked the right to a speedy trial carved out as a facet of Article 21 in issuing this direction..Highlighting further that even some of the parties in the case were senior citizens at the fag end of their life, the Bench directed the Additional District Judge to dispose of the intervention application before the Court expeditiously, preferably within 2 months..The Court was hearing a Civil Revision Petition filed by an elderly couple, who were aggrieved by the delay in disposing of an intervention application filed in 2011, in respect of an original suit dating back to 2002..The suit had been decreed in the petitioners’ favour in 2010. After the respondents challenged the order in the High Court, the petitioners filed an intervention application before the lower court seeking the appointment of an Advocate Commissioner, so that they may enjoy the fruits of the decree issued in their favour..Taking note of the fact that both the petitioners were senior citizens, and that the decree in their favour was not vacated, the Andhra Pradesh High Court granted the elderly-litigants relief.."Without going into the merits of the case, in the considered opinion of this Court, the request of the petitioners, who are the senior citizens, has to be considered positively and their hope towards this institution has to be proved to meet the ends of justice", the Court said. .Read the order here: