ABSTRACT
The judicial system in India is generally divided into civil and criminal courts, along with a third category of consumer courts that address consumer-related grievances. Civil courts handle disputes between individuals or organisations, whereas criminal courts manage cases related to criminal offences. Criminal courts in India are categorised into the Supreme Court of India, the country’s highest judicial authority; High Courts in each state, which hear appeals from lower courts; Sessions Courts in all districts responsible for serious offences; and Magistrates’ Courts, which handle minor offences. Both the Supreme Court and the High Courts hear criminal and civil cases (Jiloha et al., 2019). The Indian Government has also established Fast-track Courts, specialised courts designed to speed up trials for certain criminal cases, particularly those involving sensitive issues such as sexual offences, murder, terrorism, or corruption (Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013; Ministry of Law and Justice, 2000).
