Differences surfaced between Chief Minister, Laxmikant Parsekar and his deputy Francis D’Souza on the controversial question of setting up evening courts in Goa to tide over the backlog of cases.
D’Souza, who also holds the Law portfolio, has begged to differ with Parsekar on the issue, asserting there’s no need to set up evening courts in the State if all vacancies of Judges are filled up. And, he made it categorically clear that the proposal of evening courts did not find favour with the legal fraternity as well.
“I do not see evening courts becoming a reality in the State in the near future. I am of the firm opinion that filling up of vacancies of Judges can help tide over the pendency of cases”, the Deputy Chief Minister told The Goan on Sunday at Velim on the sidelines of the inauguration of Sanskruti Bhavan at Baradi.
Asked to comment on Parsekar’s recent statement favouring constitution of evening courts as a means to dispose off pending cases, D’Souza pointed out that the government has set in motion the process of filling up the vacant posts of Judges. “Once the vacancies are filled, the need to set up evening courts will not arise”, he said.
Moreover, he pointed out that any move to have evening courts needs to be discussed with the High Court before taking a final call. “But, I am of the firm opinion that filling up of vacant posts of Judges would suffice”, he said.
Earlier, when the government was toying with the idea of setting up evening courts, the proposal had come under flak from the lawyers from South Goa under the banner of South Goa Advocates Association. Even the Judicial officials in private had questioned the rationale behind going in for the evening courts.
President of the South Goa Advocates Association Adv Rajiv Gomes told The Goan on Sunday that the legal fraternity will oppose any move by the government to set up evening courts. “We were surprised by the statement made by the Chief Minister on evening courts. We feel that evening courts are not at all required in a small State such as Goa. It will not only affect the litigants but the legal fraternity as well”, Adv Gomes said.
He pointed out that the pendency of cases in the lower courts may come down with the government appointing new Judges in recent times. “Under these circumstances, I do not think there’s any need to have evening courts in the State”, Adv Gomes said.
He added: “If at all evening courts are required to be set up, it ought to be in the High Court given the pendency of cases. There’s hardly any pendency of cases in the lower courts and the situation will improve further once the Judges’ vacancies are filled up”.
