Conference of Law Ministers to Discuss Gram Nyayalayas Tomorrow
	17:32 IST

A daylong conference of Law Ministers, Law Secretaries of states and Registrars General of High Court is being held tomorrow to discuss the establishment of Gram Nyayalayas in the country.   Organised by the Ministry of Law and Justice, the conference will be chaired by the Union Minister of Law & Justice, Dr. H.R.Bhardwaj.  The conference would also deliberate on other related matters like time frame and financial arrangements for the setting up of Gram Nyayalayas.    The Gram Nyayalayas Bill, 2007 has already been introduced in the Parliament and examined by the Department related Parliament Standing Committee.  The Government has now decided to pursue the Gram Nyayalayas Bill in the Parliament for its enactment.  Before enactment of the Bill, the Government has also decided that the implementation aspects in this regard should be further discussed with the Law Ministers of the States. The main objectives of the Gram Nyayalayas Bill, 2007 are as follows:- a)      To provide speedy, affordable and substantive justice to the poor at grass root level in the rural areas at their doorstep. b)      Gram Nyayalaya will act as Subordinate Court at Intermediate Panchayat level. c)      The Gram Nyayalayas so established will be in addition to the civil and criminal courts established under any other law for the time being in force. d)      The Central Government will bear all the non-recurring expenditure for setting up of the Gram Nyayalayas and will bear half of the recurring expenditure for three years after setting up of the Gram Nyayalayas. e)      The Gram Nyayalayas will be empowered to deal with both criminal cases as well as civil cases as per the procedure laid down in the Gram Nyayalayas Bill, 2007. RS