India was ruled by the British for a long time and that is the main reason why the Indian judiciary has so much influence from the British laws. After India got its independence, there was a need to draft the laws, rules and regulations that the Indian citizens had to follow to maintain a proper life. That is why the Constitution of India was created and it was the rule book for India. Whether it is the penalty for a crime or the code of conduct in courtrooms, the Constitution mentions everything specifically about the Indian judiciary.

Now, there are some things that are specific about the judiciary in India. First, it is independent of the legislature and the executive branch of the Indian government. Simply put, no other office can influence the decision or actions of the legal system. That means that even if a minister is guilty of a crime, he will be tried in court without exception. So there is also a hierarchy over the courts in this system. Right at the top is the Supreme Court, which is the last place for an appeal. When all other courts have announced their decision and people are still not satisfied, they appear before this court. Next comes the superior court of each state, followed by the district courts. People bring all sorts of issues they may have to court. Be it land disputes, family issues like divorces, robberies and home invasions, or even murder, Indian courts are equipped to handle it all.

Despite being a well integrated system, there are quite a few problems in the Indian law and judiciary. The main problem is the number of pending cases. Probably due to the population, there are more cases in proportion to the number of courts. In some places, the decision takes so long that a person convicted of a crime was sentenced 13 years after the case went to court. Due to the overwhelming number of cases, there are delays in decisions and that is what makes the process problematic. Just as justice delayed is said to be justice denied, this is the situation in most cases. On the other hand, due to the influence of the British rules which are quite old, criminals find many loopholes. For example, if a boy under the age of 18 abuses or rapes a woman, he is not sentenced to death because he is a minor. However, the fact that adult crimes require adult punishments must be treated more seriously. With these amendments, the Indian judiciary can become more efficient and practical. A small improvement will go a long way in maintaining peace and order in the country.

The Indian judicial system is conventional, large, and open to improvement. There are things that are already effective and things that need help.