CIVIL LIBERTIES F] Human Rights and Administration of Criminal Justice System 4.50 The Commission has in earlier reports, made extensive recommendations aimed at reforming certain aspects of the administration of the criminal justice system in the country, so as to make it more sensitive to human rights considerations. 4.51 The Commission is gratified to note, from the Memorandum of Action Taken on its annual report for 1999-2000, that a number of constructive measures have been taken to act upon the recommendations of the Commission. The Central Government has, for instance, forwarded the recommendations of the Commission to all the High Courts and State Governments for appropriate action. Further, State Governments have been requested to take note of the observations of the Commission.in respect of the need to dispose cases speedily and they have been asked to intimate the action taken by them to the Central Government. The National Judicial Academy has also been asked by the Central Government to develop 'packages' of programmes that could be used for the speedy disposal of criminal cases and to evolve comprehensive programmes for the training of all judicial personnel and court administrators. In addition, 1,734 FastTirack Courts have been proposed to be set-up in various parts of the country to dispose of certain categories of long-pending cases. The Central Government has indicated in its Memorandum of Action Taken that some 1,015 such Courts have already been constituted, and that retired judicial officers and judicial staff have been engaged to handle this work. 4.52 The Commission has also noted with interest and appreciation other comments in the Memorandum of Action Taken on its report for the year 1999-2000. It appears from these that the 156th Report of the Law Commission, dealing with enhancement of the amount of fine and the substitution of the punishment of short-term imprisonment by fine, is being examined in consultation with the State Governments. With regard to other recommendations of the Law Commission relating, inter alia, to the inclusion of additional offences in the category of those that are compoundable offences, the Central Government has indicated that it is seized of this matter as well. 4.53 The Central Government has further informed the Commission of the action that it is taking in respect of yet other recommendations of this Commission. For instance, the recommendation proposing that honourary Judicial Magistrates be appointed in adequate number is being processed in consultation with the State ANNUAL REPORT 2001-2002 j 39