Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday voiced concern over the mounting pendency of cases across various courts, including the Supreme Court, and urged the government and the judiciary to ensure faster justice by addressing the issue of delays.
He underscored the need to make delivery of justice speedier and affordable.
Citing adjournment of cases, Naidu observed that justice was becoming costly, an official statement said.
Addressing the Platinum Jubilee meet of Dr B R Ambedkar College of Law, Andhra University, via video, the vice president said that public interest litigations (PILs) should not become private interest litigations for personal, pecuniary and political interests.
There was nothing wrong if it was for a larger public cause, he stressed.
Asking law students to be the voice of the voiceless, and to use their legal knowledge to empower the marginalised, he advised them to take up legal aid for the poor as a commitment.
He also told the budding lawyers to nurture professionalism and ethical conduct, while being fearless and fair when it comes to discharging their duties, the statement said.
Fight injustice wherever it exists and in whichever manner it is perpetuated, he said.
Highlighting the need to avoid ambiguity while drafting laws, the vice president said laws should be simple and uncomplicated.
The focus should not only be on the letter but also on the spirit of and the intent behind our laws.
The intent and purpose of the law must be very clear, he asserted.
Advising students to remain life-long learners and understand the nuances of our democratic system and the functioning of its institutions and processes, Naidu said there was a need to make policies that are not only legally sound but also morally righteous and socially just.