The Jammu and Kashmir Judicial Academy on Friday organised a one-day workshop on “Enhancing Judicial Sensitivity in the Conduct of Civil Suits” for Civil Judges (Junior Division) of Jammu Province at its premises in Janipur, Jammu.
The programme was held under the patronage of Hon’ble Mr. Justice Arun Palli, Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh and Patron-in-Chief of the J&K Judicial Academy, and under the guidance of the Hon’ble Chairperson and Members of the Governing Committee of the Academy.
The inaugural address was delivered by Hon’ble Mr. Justice Rahul Bharti, Judge of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh and Member of the Governing Committee of the Academy. Justice Bharti expressed serious concern over the frequent grant of repeated adjournments in civil cases, noting that courts often allow cases to linger for years at the request of parties, leading to enormous wastage of judicial time. He said this issue formed the basis for conceptualising the workshop. Emphasising the need for complete mental and physical commitment to every case, His Lordship cautioned against passing the burden of pendency to successors and observed that habits formed at the entry level significantly influence efficiency at higher judicial positions.
The first technical session was conducted by Hon’ble Mr. Justice Janak Raj Kotwal, Former Judge of the High Court of J&K. He deliberated on judicial sensitivity in pleadings, framing of issues, and early-stage case management. Justice Kotwal stressed the importance of understanding pleadings beyond technicalities, identifying the real points of dispute, effective use of Order X of the Code of Civil Procedure, and avoiding unnecessary adjournments at the initial stages of civil suits.
The second session was addressed by Hon’ble Mr. Justice Bansi Lal Bhat, Former Judge of the High Court of J&K, who focused on recording and appreciation of evidence while avoiding procedural rigidity. He highlighted the need for sensitivity during examination and cross-examination of witnesses, maintaining the dignity of litigants, appreciating evidence in light of ground realities, and exercising judicial discretion to prevent delays caused by non-cooperation of counsel or witnesses.
The third session was conducted by Mr. Naseer Ahmad Dar, Director, J&K Judicial Academy, who, through a PowerPoint presentation, discussed balancing urgency and fairness in deciding interim applications and final adjudication. He emphasised proportionality, equity, sensitivity in socially and emotionally charged disputes, effective hearing of all parties, delivery of reasoned and concise judgments, and timely pronouncement of judgments in accordance with the Code of Civil Procedure.
The workshop witnessed active participation from judicial officers, and the sessions were highly interactive and engaging.
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