A petition was filed on Monday in the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Centre, states and Union Territories to take steps to double the number of judges in high courts and subordinate courts, and implement a judicial charter on disposal of cases in a three-year time period.

The total sanctioned posts of judges in the 25 high courts of the country is 1,079 and as per the latest report, 414 of the posts are vacant.

The public interest litigation was filed by BJP leader and lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay and it has made all the high courts, the states, the Union Territories (UTs), the Union Home Ministry and the Law and Justice Ministry as parties.

'Deliberate and inordinate delay of a trial offends Article 21. The right to speedy justice is a fundamental right of every citizen, which cannot be trampled upon. It is an integral part of right to life and liberty and a procedure is void if it does not provide fair trial and speedy justice,' the plea said. A Judicial Charter to guarantee time-bound trial and justice is an important safeguard (1) to prevent undue oppressive incarceration prior to trial (2) to minimize anxiety and concern accompanying public accusation, and (3) to limit the possibilities that long delays will impair the ability of an accused to defend him," it said.

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