Cases affecting women, children will be my priority, says Chief Justice of India designate P Sathasivam

New Delhi: The Chief Justice designate Justice P Sathasivam today said his priority in his short tenure of less than 10 months would be disposing of cases related to women and children, long pending cases, inter-state water disputes and speeding up the justice delivery system.

Speaking at the farewell function of outgoing Chief Justice of India Altmas Kabir, Justice Sathasivam said, "Keeping the time limit for arguments, cases affecting women and children and cases of those languishing in jail will be given priority in my tenure."

He also said that he will be asking the High Court chief justices to set up special courts to dispose of lakhs of pending cases.

Questioning the government's anxiety to change the system of judges appointing judges, Justice Sathasivam said, "The government, if it has any reservations on appointment of a particular judge, it has the option to give its views because the recommendation goes to the government and the IB report is also sent to the government. But the Centre can't vaguely say about the system."

However he admitted that there are drawbacks in the present system of appointing judges.

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"I admit there are drawbacks. But the system is not rigid." Justice Sathasivam, the first CJI from Tamil Nadu, would be swearing in tomorrow morning.