The supreme court of India (SC) has announced setting up a special ‘Social Justice Bench’ to hold speedy hearings over cases concerning social issues.

According to a press statement, issued on Wednesday, the exclusive bench constituted under orders from the chief justice of India HL Dattu will sit every Friday from December 2 onwards.

The two member bench comprising justices Madan B Lokur and UU Lalit will hear both the pending cases and the fresh ones.

Court officials emphasised that the measure would ensure early disposal of cases and in turn help realise the constitutional rights provided to citizens.

Some of the areas of litigation that the new bench would focus on would relate to state’s proactive role at the time of exigencies such as release of food grains lying in stocks for people in drought-affected areas.

Besides that, fresh scheme for public distribution of food grains, cases involving malnutrition deaths, night shelter for the homeless, medical facilities to all citizens, women and child safety, prostitution issues are some of the litigation areas the bench would focus on.

“In Supreme Court several cases related to the domain of ‘social justice’ are pending for years. Hon’ble chief justice of India is of the view that these cases shall be given a specialised approach for their early disposal so that the masses realise the fruits of the rights provided to them by the constitution,” the release said.