Litigation Landscape of Bengaluru – Bengaluru Rural Courts
Understanding the litigation landscape of six court complexes in Bengaluru
Summary: This Report demystified the litigation landscape in Bengaluru through a data-driven analysis of cases handled in each of the courts between the years 2015-2017 as well as highlight administrative inefficiencies.
Vidhi and DAKSH have collaborated in producing this Report, a first in a series aimed at better understanding the litigation landscape of Bengaluru. In this report, the focus is on Bengaluru Rural District Courts (Rural Court), functioning out of six court complexes in and around the city. The objectives of the Report are to one, understand the structure and functioning of the subordinate judiciary, specifically Rural Courts and two, propose measures to improve the status quo. Apart from an in-depth case-data analysis, in a first of its kind exercise, the researchers have conducted extensive interviews with the judicial administrative staff and judges to hear first hand accounts of the issues that hampers the courts’ functioning. The Report ends with a list of recommendations along with the in-charge authorities to improve the court management systems in Bengaluru Rural Courts.
About the Authors
Deepika Kinhal is a Senior Resident Fellow and team lead for the JALDI (Justice, Access and Lowering Delays in India) initiative at Vidhi which focuses on judicial reforms. She has authored several data-driven research reports seeking to understand systemic issues that plague India’s justice delivery systems. She is now working towards translating the research findings into tangible solutions through interdisciplinary collaborations. Under the aegis of JALDI Innovation Lab, she is leading her team on projects at the intersection of law and other disciplines such as technology, management and design. Deepika has been a part of expert committees constituted by the eCommittee of the Supreme Court of India and NITI Aayog to design a roadmap to improve justice delivery through technology. She has also lead engagements with multiple High Courts aimed at improving their case and court management systems, and has appeared before Parliamentary Standing Committees on Mediation Bill and Judicial Impact Assessment. Deepika graduated from NLSIU, Bengaluru in 2012. Before joining Vidhi, she practiced as a civil-commercial lawyer in Karnataka with Dua Associates, and as a real-estate and capital markets lawyer at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas. Deepika is trained in Carnatic classical music and has performed for All India Radio and a Kannada movie
Akhileshwari Reddy is a Senior Resident Fellow at Vidhi, Karnataka. Her work focuses on the protection of human rights and environment. At Vidhi she has worked on various projects including those on solid waste management, waste picker welfare, urban ground water management and human-wildlife conflict in India. She graduated with a B.A., L.LB (Hons.) degree from the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (WBNUJS, Kolkata) in 2016. In 2017, she completed her Masters in Human Rights Law at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) on the Marchant Foundation Scholarship and the LSE Master’s Award. Her articles on human rights issues in India have been published by various Journals. She also regularly contributes to the Deccan Herald, The Wire and Down to Earth. She is an avid reader and especially enjoys reading fantasy fiction.