Abstract:

In the Indian State of Gujurat there is a revolutionary institution started by a disciple of Ghandi, Harivallabh Parikh, shortly after the Indian independence. Known as the Open Court, administered by the tribal village communities themselves, it is a court where anyone can take the floor, where justice is dispensed without regard to caste. NO SILENCE IN THIS COURT documents the proceedings of actual cases and includes interviews with the participants, the villagers, and the Court's founder. It tells the history of this unusual court, and of its impact on the community. Established in 1949, the court was created to quell the violence that daily resulted from petty squabbles, and to offer the tribal people of this community an alternative to the often corrupt practices of the local police and court system. The court operates as an open forum, a place where two parties can air their grievances and be assured of a just resolution. Overseen by a small tribunal, the entire community is involved in meting out the judgment, and the community itself ensures its proper implementation. Since it's inception, the court has peacefully resolved more than 70,000 cases. This 'self-managed' justice has proven so successful, that the Justice Ministry has tried to establish similar courts in other regions of India.