CJI Surya Kant to attend seminar on retired judges’ role in ADR today

Jaipur: The city will witness a rare convergence of judicial activity Saturday as Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant is scheduled to reach for a national seminar and all judges of the Rajasthan High Court assemble at the Jaipur Bench for hearings.

The one-day seminar, “The Bench Beyond Retirement: Role of Retired Judges in the Growth of ADR and Legal Awareness for the Common People,” will be held at the Prithviraj Chauhan Auditorium of the Constitution Club. Retired judges of the Supreme Court and various high courts are expected to participate. Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma will also address the event.

The seminar will centre on strengthening alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, including mediation, arbitration and conciliation, while also promoting legal awareness among citizens. With court pendency continuing to rise, retired judges are being viewed as important contributors in reducing pressure on the judicial system.

At the same time, the Rajasthan High Court will see an unprecedented arrangement, with judges from both the principal seat in Jodhpur and the Jaipur Bench sitting together in Jaipur for the day’s proceedings. Under a special roster, four larger benches, six division benches and 15 single benches have been constituted. It will be the first time that four larger benches function simultaneously. Cases from Jodhpur will be taken up through videoconferencing. “The lawyers from the principal seat at Jodhpur will appear in their cases through videoconferencing,” an officer said.

The development comes amid an ongoing standoff between the Bar and the Bench. Three bar associations have announced a voluntary boycott of judicial work Saturday to protest the decision to designate select Saturdays as working days.

Box: Re-poll announced for Rajasthan Bar Council elections at four booths

Jaipur: Fresh polling for the Rajasthan Bar Council elections will be held on May 4 at four booths where voting was cancelled on April 22 due to disruptions.

The high-powered election committee has decided to conduct re-polling at Rajasthan High Court Jaipur and sessions courts at Jaipur, Jodhpur and Raisinghnagar (Sriganganagar). Voting will take place from 8am to 5pm.

The decision was taken unanimously in a committee meeting held Friday, which found the incidents at these centres serious enough to affect the fairness of the election process.

The committee has also ordered an inquiry into the April 22 events. Assistant Returning Officers (AROs) have been directed to submit reports within two days, along with election materials such as ballot boxes, papers and video recordings.
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