Morung Express News
Kohima | May 21
State Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio today said that Nagaland attach special significance to having a separate High Court because of certain provisions of the 16 point agreement of 1960 reached between the government of India and Naga People Convention.
Delivering the key note address at the foundation stone laying ceremony of the New High Court Complex at Meriema, Rio said that as per the agreement the administration of justice in the state was to continue as per the provisions for ‘Rules for Administration of Justice and Police in the Naga Hills District 1937’, under which civil and criminal justice are administered by the executive magistrates as well as by the customary courts.
There was also a provision for setting up of a ‘Naga tribunal’ for Nagaland in respect of cases decided according to customary laws, although this provision is yet to be invoked, Rio said.
The Chief Minister also said that Nagaland have started implementing the separation of judiciary from executive in a phased manner. “In view of these special and unique situations, we need a separate High Court complex for Nagaland, that will understand the situations better and resolve the conflicting problem”, Rio said, adding that the laying of the foundation stone is a significant step. He also said that a small state like Sikkim had its own court since inception but Nagaland has waited 43 years long to have a separate court.
Rio went on to state that phased way separation of judiciary from executive has been necessitated because of the non-familiarity of the people with the technicalities and complexities of the procedural law being followed by the formal courts. However, it will be implemented in the whole state over a period of time, Rio asserted.
“We in Nagaland, while not having a serious crime profile like some other states are fully aware of the possibility of crime profile becoming more heinous in future because of the growing urbanization. Because of this, while we nurture and applaud our own customary law system, we have also chosen to adopt the modern legal system and have taken all measures to strengthen this new system”, the Chief Minister said.
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