1090 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
(D)
*DEMAND FOR SUPPLEMENTARY GRANTS FOR
1948-49 (ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE)
Mr. Speaker: I think then, I should first call upon the Honourable Law Minister to reply to Demand No. 34. I have to put it to vote. I thought the honourable Member wanted to speak on that.
Shri R. K. Sidhva: No, Sir.
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar (Minister of Law) : Sir, this item ‘Administration of Justice’ really belongs to the Home Ministry, because they are in charge of the subject, but I am sure, we must today at least spare the Sardar of the trouble that would be involved in replying to this debate. I am, therefore, taking the responsibility on my shoulders. I must also say that I have had no previous consultation with him and so, I do not know, whether I would be exactly representing the views of the Home Ministry on the subject that I am speaking.
Sir, this question of the law’s delay is a long cry that we have been hearing in this country and the Government of India, if I remember correctly, at one time appointed a Committee the Civil Justice Committee—and some of the recommendations made by that Committee were incorporated both in the Civil Procedure Code as well as in the Criminal Procedure Code with the object of avoiding delay in the matter of coming to conclusions so far as litigation was concerned. At the same time that unfortunately has not in any way softened the complaint which we are now hearing about the law’s delay. In my judgment and I think both my honourable friends, Dr. P. S. Deshmukh and Shrimati Durgabai, who have had considerable experience of practice in the Courts will agree that much of the delay that takes place in litigation is really due to the clients themselves. So far as my experience goes, in law courts every client on an appointed day instead of coming prepared either with the witnesses or with the
*C. A. (Leg). D., Vol. 3, Part II, 31st March 1949, pp. 2151-53.