“As the governance is not good in this country, we suffer,” Justice Balakrishnan said in a special address at the South Zone Regional workshop on ‘Techniques and Tools for Enhancing Timely Justice’.

In Delhi, 20 lakh cases were pending. Two-century-old land acquisition cases were yet to be resolved. Large cases were pending in motor accident tribunals. The judiciary was trying to do its best, he said.

He said a high-power committee consisting of MPs, MLAs and civil servants should be formed to fix a reasonable amount of compensation in land acquisition cases.

The Government fixes an amount and drives all the people away forcing them to litigate. “Our system is encouraging litigation,” he said.

“Why should the Government not come forward with a proper structure so that people get adequate compensation and only a fraction of people would approach courts then?” he asked.

The Chief Justice said he had appealed to various state governments to provide more funds to improve infrastructure in various courts.

The CJI urged judicial officers to have knowledge of cases pending before them.

Adjournment of cases was a major bottleneck, especially in north India, he said adding that studies had shown that 40 per cent of cases were four to five years old in some states.

Stating that the state governments were not providing adequate funds for state judicial academies, he said, “We cannot afford to lose the confidence the people of the country have reposed in the judiciary.”

Earlier, laying the foundation stone of the new Ernakulam District Court complex, the Chief Justice of India lamented that not enough was being spent for improving infrastructure facilities in courts. “The Government of India and the whole world is proud of Indian judiciary. But in providing infrastructure they are extremely lethargic and miserly,” he said.