the goan I network
MARGAO
City-based lawyers are up in arms over the inadequate staff manning the courts in the district and the inordinate delay on the part of the government to set up an Administrative Tribunal for the South Goa district, with the Advocates Association terming the act of the State in banning all recruitment processes by the Judiciary since 2016 as an interference with the Judiciary.
Addressing the media, the South Goa Advocates Association has pointed out that lawyers, litigants and the Judges of the South Goa district are put to great hardships due to the staff shortage in various Judicial courts functioning in the district.
In fact, Association president A Clovis da Costa told the media that information obtained under the Right to Information has revealed that the total number of vacant posts of all the judicial courts in the district is put at 47. He has pointed out that the figure may increase by May 2019 with around 20 staff members due to scheduled retirement.
“As a result of the inadequate staff, the smooth functioning of the Judiciary is adversely affected. The Judicial staff is over worked. Our RTI information showed that 11 court staff had passed away before their retirement since the last five years, while 11 others have applied and have been granted voluntary retirement since the last five years,” Clovis said.
He said the State vide letter dated November 22, 2016 had banned all recruitment processes by the Judiciary, adding “the act of the State amounts to interference with the Judiciary”. He also pointed out that sanctioned strengthen of staff is much less than the required strength.
On the long-delayed Administrative Tribunal bench in South Goa, Clovis reminded that Section 3 of the Goa Administrative Tribunal Act 1965 provides for the setting up of an Administrative Tribunal for each of the districts in Goa.
Clovis said due to the non-setting up of the South Goa Administrative Tribunal in South Goa, severe hardships have been caused to the lawyers and litigants hailing from the remote areas such as Sanguem, Dharbandora and Quepem, who are forced to travel all the way to Panaji to attend to their cases.
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