Govt committed to further empower Armed Forces Tribunal: Rajnath Singh

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said the Government is committed to make the Armed Forces Tribunal more empowered and responsive and implement measures that were required in this direction.

The minister said that the judiciary is a strong pillar of democracy, and judicial officers, and lawyers are in turn pillars of this judicial system. He said people knock on the doors of the judiciary when all other options were closed to them and sound judiciary delivery systems were the basis for good governance.

Addressing the gathering at a seminar titled 'Introspection: Armed Forces Tribunal', organised by Armed Forces Tribunal Principal Bench Bar Association in New Delhi, he stated that domain-specific tribunals were set up to deal with diverse cases and clear pending cases.

The minister stressed that litigants have trust in our judiciary and whatever measures required were being implemented, such as filling up of vacancies in the tribunals, to expedite the justice delivery process. He also assured the gathering that government would consider suggestions that would emerge from the seminar to fulfil the aspirations of ex-servicemen, and serving personnel for the speedy delivery of justice.

The minister called for a balance between 'justice delayed is justice denied' and 'justice hurried is justice buried' to lessen the burden of pendency on the judicial system in general and the Armed Forces Tribunal in particular as the timely delivery of justice will not only reduce the burden on Armed Forces Tribunal but will also reinforce the confidence of our soldiers in the system.

--IANS

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