High Court asks Delhi government to inform about infrastructure for setting up 42 more commercial courts

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday asked the city government to apprise it about the infrastructure required for setting up of 42 commercial courts in the national capital. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Navin Chawla also directed the administrative side of the high court to file an affidavit disclosing the position regarding availability of courtrooms and judicial officers who could man these commercial courts. The court issued notice and sought response of the Delhi High Court, through Registrar General, Delhi government and the Centre on a petition by advocate and social activist Amit Sahni seeking directions to set up posts of 42 more District Judges (commercial) in view of a notification issued by the city government on April 13, 2021. The notification was issued in furtherance of the Delhi Government’s cabinet approval regarding setting up of 42 additional posts of District Judges (commercial). We direct the Delhi government to file a counter affidavit specifically on creation of infrastructure required for setting up of 42 commercial courts. The high court (administrative side) shall file a counter affidavit disclosing the position regarding availability of court rooms and availability of judicial officers who could man these courts, the bench said. The bench said the replies be filed within three weeks and listed the matter for further hearing on July 5. The Delhi government additional standing counsel Anuj Aggarwal submitted that the city government has already notified more number of commercial courts in April 2021 by increasing the number from existing 22 to 64 and now it is up to the high court administration to designate or appoint more judges against those increased posts. The petitioner said out of 64 commercial courts, presently only 22 of them have been set up in operation by the Delhi government and the authorities be directed to set up 42 more such courts as notified by the government. The efficiency of the legal system and the time taken to resolve commercial disputes is an extremely important factor in deciding the growth of investment and overall economic and social development of the nation. The delay caused in dispensation of justice is taken note of by the high courts and the Supreme Court from time to time and directions have been issued to recruit the pending vacancies in different courts of the country, the petition said. It said that on 22 March, 2021, the Delhi government had approved creation of 42 additional dedicated commercial courts for the national capital and as per media reports, ancillary staff appointments have also been approved for setting up additional commercial courts. As against the world best practice towards a timeline for disposal of commercial disputes of 164 days, Delhi takes 747 days in deciding a commercial dispute. Mumbai, on an average, takes only 182 days. Delhi courts have been over-burdened and as per the data available on the official website of district courts, Delhi, till February 2022, there are 26,959 cases pending in 22 commercial courts functioning in Delhi district courts, it said. Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.