Bhubaneswar, July 23 (UDN): In a significant move to strengthen access to justice for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities, the Odisha government has established six Exclusive Special Courts for the speedy trial of cases registered under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
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The Home Department has issued the official notification following due consultations with the Orissa High Court. The initiative is aimed at ensuring faster disposal of cases, reducing pendency, and providing timely justice to victims of atrocities.
The newly created courts will function as Courts of Additional District and Sessions Judges-cum-Exclusive Special Courts. They will have exclusive jurisdiction over the revenue districts of Bhadrak, Ganjam (Berhampur), Jajpur, Kendrapara and Puri, along with the Khurda Revenue Sub-Division.
According to the government, the decision has been taken in response to the increasing number of pending cases in these districts. The dedicated courts are expected to expedite trials and strengthen the implementation of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The proposal for the new courts was prepared by the State Human Rights Protection Cell (SHRPC) at the Police Headquarters after a detailed review of case pendency across the state. Based on an assessment of districts with heavy caseloads, the SHRPC submitted recommendations that subsequently received the concurrence of the Orissa High Court.
Following the notification, the Home Department has requested the High Court to appoint Additional District and Sessions Judges as Presiding Officers for the newly established courts so that they can begin functioning at the earliest.
The state government is also considering the establishment of additional Exclusive Special Courts and the appointment of Special Public Prosecutors in other districts with a high volume of pending cases, as part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen the justice delivery system for vulnerable communities.