Panaji: If bench and bar come together, they can deliver speedy justice to people like they expedited the case of Bollywood superstar Salman Khan recently, former IPS officer Kiran Bedi said here.
“It is the same judiciary and lawyers that delayed the case for 13 years, and expedited it in three days. He (Salman) could pay for the speed and cost of legal experience.. Common man can't pay for it and he is left out. The question is why it should not be uniform for all,” Bedi told PTI on the sidelines of the ongoing Women Economic Forum here.
“If this (Salman case) is fast-tracked, then the point is why can't we have fast track High Courts? This requires reform of judiciary or legal system... It is the same legal experience that could hold on the case for 13 years and which could get him out in less than three days,” she said. Bedi said the same legal experience can delay and can expedite the justice.
“You can't change the Indian judicial system unless bench and bars want to.. if they want it, they know which are the knots to be opened,” she said.
“The question is not whether it is fair or unfair, the question is of reality.. The bench and bar should be on mission mode...lawyers and judges know what delay is. For last 13 years, the bench and bar was knowing what was happening,” she said.
“Once bench and bar are in alignment, we will have the same kind of speed and quality for the common man. They have to come together to decide what changes are needed. They can begin the change from where they are and then they can see what are the additional things required,” she said.
Referring to the 2002 hit-and run case, she said, “If you noticed, it is the cost of specialisation.. Better the specialisation, higher the cost.. If you have the paying capacity you get the results.”
“Salman could hire a high legal counsel which is beyond the capacity of an ordinary man.. At a higher cost of legal experience, they could push the case. There is a cost for urgency also,” Bedi added.
Just two days after he was convicted, the Bombay High Court, on May 8, suspended Salman Khan's five-year sentence in the hit-and-run case, admitted his appeal against conviction and granted him bail.
Bedi had earlier said that the bail has given the impression that VIPs and the rich can avoid jail with “best legal aid”..
