Introduction

The Judicial Education gains momentum while there is stress laid on knowledge in substantive and Procedural Law and Judges should be trained on knowledge in law, skill, attitude and ethics beside other matters including Information Technology for comprehensive capacity building. Although the pass outs of the law are Judges but the Judicial Education imparts teaching in various aspects to improve the Justice Delivery System. Considering the necessity of Judicial Education to be imparted to Judicial Officers of the State of Orissa, the decision to open a Judicial Academy was resolved by High Court of Orissa on 30.03.2001. The decision was implemented by the State Government by establishment of a permanent Judicial Academy for Orissa at the old building of Board of Revenue, Cuttack. On 02.04.2003, the state created a post of Director to commence the function of Academy for enhancing learning and training, and a platform for Judicial Officers for attending Excellency in dispensing of Justice. Accordingly the first Director being appointed resumed the duty on 20.12.2003. Since then, the Academy is running in the Old Building of Board of Revenue. The main objective of the Academy is to develop and to deliver educational programmes in order to make them available to judiciary as far as possible, further to strengthen value based society.

Background

Training for the Judges is accepted in judicial circle in India. The Constitution has entrusted the judiciary with the task of ensuring realization of the rights guaranteed to citizens and also to ensure that other organs of the State i.e. Executive and Legislature should perform and discharge their duties within the parameters of their conferred powers. The judicial system even if it moves in right direction, may not be able to deliver justice to affected citizens efficiently if the judicial officers do not have the requisite operational skill or they are not trained to deliver substantial justice to the litigants. Judicial objectivity and public confidence in the judiciary are pre-conditions for effective functioning of the justice delivery system. There is a growing need for the judiciary to provide and demonstrate social accountability by providing speedy justice within minimum time. The justice delivery system may not perform its duties effectively unless knowledge and skills of the judicial officers are continuously upgraded by appropriate education and training. Continuous judicial education and training in a systematic and organized manner, therefore, are effective tools to increase the efficiency and efficacy of the judicial system and to upgrade the requisite skills, knowledge and attitude of the judicial officers who operate the judicial system. 

The recommendation of the Law Commission in a series of reports culminating in the one hundred and seventeenth report, emphasized the need for continuous judicial education and formulated it’s basic aim in the following words: The basic aim of training briefly spelt out is to equip the trainees not only with tools to execute their work, but to endow them with vision as to what is expected of the system which they serve. What is meant by Justice? What is decision making process? What are the goals of the Constitution? What is the direction in which law must move? What does the dictum justice according to law imply? In the All India Judges’ Association Case, AIR 1992 SC 165 and in the order on the Review Petition, AIR 1993 SC 2493, the Supreme Court declared the urgent need to organize judicial education on a systematic basis through National and State Judicial Academies. Then, the Supreme Court in the more recent case that is, All India Judges Association V Union of India, (2002) 4 SCC 247 laid emphasis in depth training for Judicial Officers. It was in this background that Orissa Judicial Academy came into existence on 20th December, 2003.

History

The training programme for judicial officers was at a low key due to want of proper space and infrastructure. Even, the newly appointed judicial officers used to sit on the dais along with Senior Judges to observe day-to-day proceedings in the Court only. Now the Judicial officers ,those who joined in the Orissa Judicial Service are given training like institutional training, practical training and field training at Orissa Judicial Academy. In 2003, Old Board of Revenue Building identified and earmarked for Judicial Academy. The Orissa Judicial Academy was inaugurated on 20 th December 2003 by Hon’ble Justice Sri A.Pasayt, Judge ,Supreme Court of India, in presence of Hon’ble Justice Sri Sujit Barman Roy ,Chief Justice of Orissa,& Dr.N.R. Madhava Manon ,Director National Judicial Academy, Bhopal with the objective of imparting training to newly recruited judicial officers as well as for in-service judges and others. The inaugural function was attended by Hon’ble Judges of High Court of Orissa, District & Sessions Judge, Registrar General, High Court of Orissa, Principal Secretary Law, Govt. of Orissa and Officers from District Judiciary. Orissa Judicial Academy has evolved training courses and refresher programmes for induction and in service education of judges. The Orissa Judicial Academy has been playing an active role in the field of judicial education.

Aims and Objectives

  • To prepare newly appointed judges for performing their duties and functions;
  • To ensure uniformity and predictability of decisions for which to equip the judges with adequate command of law, procedures and the technology of judging;
  • To educate Judges on related areas of knowledge and skills useful for judicial work;
  • To inculcate the right kind of values, attitudes and perspectives desirable for undertaking judicial functions;
  • To motivate and prepare for absorbing reformist initiatives, overcome resistance to change in a manner beneficial of judicial administration
  • To recognize problems confronting the judiciary or problems faced by people Vis-à-vis the judicial system and help develop and administer solutions for better access to justice; and To build institutional solidarity and a sense of common purpose.
  • To undertake, organize and facilitate study courses, conferences, seminars, lectures, and research in matters relating to Court Management and Administration of Justice.
  • To undertake publication of papers, books, monographs journals on important topics of law and related subjects and reading materials for trainees.
  • To facilitate research work on any subject affecting public accountability & confidence with Judges.
  • To conduct research on any law emerging in consequence of change in society & people at grass root level.