Bar Council of Andhra Pradesh Asks Centre to Drop Evening Courts Plan

The Bar Council of Andhra Pradesh has requested the Government of India to drop its proposal for setting up evening courts in the state. Instead, the council wants authorities to fill vacant posts of presiding officers, improve basic facilities in present courts, and add more fast track courts to lower the massive backlog of pending cases.

Concerns and Pilot Plans

BCAP Secretary B. Padma Latha released a statement noting that evening courts would cause trouble for both lawyers and everyday litigants. She pointed out that night travel would be especially hard for women litigants. The Central government had planned these evening courts on a pilot basis in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, and Delhi alongside respective High Courts, using retired judges to hear pending matters during extended hours.

Context

Pilot projects are small-scale test runs that governments use to see if a new idea works before launching it everywhere. India's judicial system deals with millions of pending cases across different levels, leading to various proposals over the years to speed up hearings.