Court asks status of delinking judiciary, UTPs and prosecution

SHILLONG: The High Court of Meghalaya has asked the government to speed up the complete separation of judiciary from executive, assess the status of under-trial prisoners and functioning of the directorate of prosecution.
Taking up a pending PIL on these issues, the High Court said after expressing dissatisfaction over the delay in delinking judiciary from executive, the officers concerned had attended to the pending issues, including providing infrastructure.
The Court, however, observed that the officers concerned should have acted promptly without the intervention of the Court.
“We would expect that the shortcomings on the part of the government as noticed earlier would not resurface and the matter shall be attended at with requisite seriousness so as to ensure substantial progress and concrete results,” the Court said.
On under-trial prisoners languishing in jail without remand orders, the Court wanted  the State Legal Services Authority to place on record the latest reports relating to UTPs in the entire state while indicating the areas of shortcomings on the part of the government.
The Court also took up streamlining the prosecution, including setting up of the Directorate of Prosecution and engagement of proficient prosecutors.
“It was earlier indicated that the government had taken up the process of establishment of Directorate of Prosecution. It would be expected of the Government of Meghalaya to specifically state by way of an affidavit the progress in the matter of establishment of Directorate of Prosecution and engagement of proficient prosecutors,” the Court observed.
The Court also said the government should state, by way of further affidavit, the progress made on the aspects related to infrastructure for the judiciary in the districts where separation has taken place as also on the requirements for effective separation of judiciary in the remaining districts. The case will come up for hearing on April 12.