Himachal High court Chief Justice Kurian Joseph today launched a programme for reducing pendency of cases in the High Court and subordinate courts and set targets for disposal of cases relating to undertrials, senior Citizens, minors, disabled and other marginalized groups in society.

The aim of the programme is to reduce the delay in justice delivery and to establish the standards in execution of its business by all courts in the state by introducing structural changes and to increase accountability, Justice Joseph said.

He said the rate of disposal in the Himachal Pradesh High Court was higher than the filing of cases. As against 36697 cases instituted during the year 2010, the disposal was 42759 and the programme was aimed at disposing all pre-2005 cases by December 31, 2011.

Subordinate courts would dispose of at least 150 petty cases upto the year 2008, long-pending cases in subordinate courts upto the year 2005, senior citizens and minors cases upto 2008, disabled cases upto the year 2008 and other marginalized groups cases upto the year 2008 by July 31,2011.

Three mobile traffic magistrate courts would be set up in Shimla, Mandi and Dharamshala for speedy disposal of cases under the Motor Vehicle Act and Holiday Courts at Shimla, Baddi (Nalagarh), Paonta Sahib and Amb would also be started to facilitate those litigants who are in government or semi-government service and unable to pursue their cases during working days.

Every subordinate court has been given a target of 100 cases for disposal in each Lok Adalat being held quarterly and the target would be disposal of more than 20,000 cases.

Computerization of subordinate courts would be completed before December 31 this year and a software has already been made operational in district Court, Mandi.

The measures to be taken to reduce the pendency in the High Court included grouping of cases involving similar questions of law filed under separate categories, constitution of benches and allocation of work in such a manner so as to achieve optimum output and expeditious disposal of cases pertaining to convicts and those, in which proceedings before lower courts? have been stayed, on priority basis.