Very difficult for people like us to comprehend the hard work judges do: Law Minister Kiren Rijiju

During the Legal Services Day celebrations held on Tuesday, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju highlighted the hard work that goes into being a judge. .He took note of comments made recently on social media and other fora, opining that many people do not understand a judge’s responsibility.“In the Court we know what judges do and what is their primary responsibility. Many people do not understand. I’ve stated on many occasions the life of a judge. You may have heard many comments these days, especially on social media, there are some unpalatable remarks also being made. But when you see closely how much judges have to perform, the hard work, the homework, the studies - it is very difficult for people like us to comprehend.”.Rijiju emphasised that judges cannot be as open as others who lead a public life due to certain limitations.“We are from public life, we are open, but judges can't be that open, they have their own limitations. If you understand how much a judge has to devote his time give a pronouncement, it is not easy for a judge to come out of conventional duty & look after services like legal aid etc.”.He also commended the teamwork displayed by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana and Justice UU Lalit in furthering the cause of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) and expressed confidence that the efforts will reach a new high.“I have no doubt in my mind that the long effort which started a long time back which really picked up during Justice UU Lalit's time will definitely reach every nook and corner of the country. I’m happy to share that Chief Justice of India has devoted quite a lot of his other busy time to ensure that legal services are given due attention.”.Further complimenting the steps taken by the two judges, the Law Minister mentioned that several High Court judges had informed him that Justice Lalit was pushing them to reach every nook and corner of the country."I must once again commend Justice Lalit and Chief Justice Ramana for taking tremendous steps. I am not discounting the services of previous responsible holders. But in this current time, I have seen a great team and teamwork.".Laying emphasis on the need to focus on improving infrastructure and other facilities in the lower judiciary, Rijiju said that an ordinary citizen faced difficulty accessing justice."We all know that more than 4 crore cases are pending in the lower courts. The government is taking lot of steps to ensure proper infrastructure for subordinate judiciary. Lower judiciary is where I feel the greatest thrust must be given at this point of time. So many people do not get justice. It is not anyone's fault, it is because of circumstances and the situation that it is not easy for an ordinary person to get justice. That is where we feel the gap between justice and common man must be bridged.".He reiterated the cause that the NALSA was working towards, “ensuring that people do not have to struggle to get bare minimum justice.”While stating this, he put into perspective struggles of those at the grassroots of the system and their difficulty in accessing justice.“Some simple souls, someone from village will be scared to go to court. The idea of bringing justice at the doorstep is transforming the judiciary in our country.”.[Read account of entire event here]