Environment, spl courts bills tabled in Sangsad

The Environment Court (Amendment) Bill, 2003 and The Special Court (Additional Charge) Bill, 2003, the proposed laws aim to expand the scopes of the environment and special courts and tribunals to ease the overburdened district and session judge's courts.

If and when necessary, the laws enable transfer of cases to such courts and tribunals.

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Under the current law, environment courts only take up environment-related cases. These courts would take up other cases for disposal, the law minister proposed in the amendment bill.

The other bill, The Special Court (Additional Charge) Bill, 2003, proposed the special courts and tribunals formed by the government for speedy disposal of specific cases would be declared 'Court of Special District Judge' and 'Special Court of Session'.

The cases lying with the courts of district and session judge's court could be transferred to such courts too.

The bill noted the district judge's courts and the session judge's courts are burdened with thousands of non-disposed cases for a long period while environment courts have only a handful of cases.

Both bills were sent to the concerned parliamentary standing committee for scrutiny.