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Access To Justice

All articles tagged with #access to justice

"Supreme Court Urges Tech-Friendly Judges for Hybrid Hearings"

Originally Published 2 years ago — by Times of India

Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud has urged all high courts in India to embrace technology and implement virtual modes of hearing cases within two weeks. He criticized certain high courts, including the Allahabad High Court and the Bombay High Court, for their reluctance to adopt technology in their judicial functioning. The Chief Justice emphasized that technology is no longer a matter of choice but an essential part of the justice system, comparing it to law books and a driving license. He also highlighted the importance of maintaining the investment-intensive infrastructure for virtual hearings, which was established during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Supreme Court has allocated Rs 7,000 crore for the development of e-Courts, and the Chief Justice called on high courts to demonstrate their commitment to technological advancements.

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The ongoing struggle of public defenders in the justice system.

Originally Published 2 years ago — by NPR

The promise of the Supreme Court's landmark ruling in Gideon v. Wainwright that guaranteed criminal defendants the right to a lawyer has been challenged by budgets and high demand. Public defenders face understaffing, crushing caseloads, underpayment, and undervaluation, leading to a lack of resources and respect. The American legal system is built on the idea that evenly matched adversaries will clash in court, but this is not the case for people with lower incomes. The Biden administration is making access to the courts a priority, reestablishing a standalone Access to Justice office and putting a former public defender in charge. Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats have introduced legislation to create a new source of grant funding to hire public defenders and raise their pay to level the playing field with prosecutor salaries.

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