Definition
Dedicated courts established for the speedy disposal of specific categories of criminal cases — including rape, POCSO offences, senior citizen cases, and cases involving persons in custody — to reduce trial pendency in these sensitive categories.
Fast Track Courts (FTCs) were first recommended by the 11th Finance Commission (2000) and established by the Central Government in 2000-2001 with the objective of disposing pending sessions cases and long-standing cases. After the Nirbhaya gang rape case (December 2012), Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) for rape and POCSO cases were established as a distinct category. As of 2024: (a) Fast Track Special Courts specifically for rape and POCSO cases have been established in most states under a central scheme; (b) these courts have exclusive jurisdiction over rape cases under Section 64 BNS and POCSO Act cases; (c) they are intended to complete trial within 2 months.
Statutory Definition
Section 28, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), 2012: 'The State Government shall in consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court, by notification in the Official Gazette, designate for each district, a Court of Session to be a Special Court to try the offences under this Act.' This mandates special courts for POCSO offences. The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013 (post-Nirbhaya) added provisions to CrPC (now BNSS) for fast track disposal of rape cases.
Etymology & Origin
From 'fast track' (an accelerated path, originally railroad terminology) + 'court.' A 'fast track court' follows an accelerated ('fast track') procedure — prioritising speed in specified categories of cases.
Full Legal Analysis
Fast Track Courts: Justice Accelerated for Vulnerable Victims
The slow pace of sexual offence trials has been identified as a significant barrier to justice for rape and child sexual abuse victims — who must live with uncertainty about the outcome for years while the accused remains free on bail (or vice versa). Fast Track Special Courts accelerate the process: exclusive jurisdiction, dedicated judges, strict timelines, and priority case management.
Fast Track Special Courts for Rape and POCSO: The Scheme
The Central Government-funded scheme for FTSCs (initiated after the Criminal Law Amendment, 2018) provides for: (a) dedicated courts in every district with significant pendency of rape/POCSO cases; (b) only these categories of cases are heard; (c) judges are selected and given special training; (d) goal: complete trial within 6 months from commencement of trial; (e) infrastructure support including safe witness rooms, evidence management, and victim support. Under the scheme, FTSCs are financed 60:40 between Centre and States.
BNSS 2023: Two-Year Trial Limit
The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 introduces a significant trial timeline: for offences punishable with 10 or more years' imprisonment, the trial must be completed within 2 years of framing of charges. This is an attempt to institutionalise fast-track timelines across all serious criminal cases — not just rape and POCSO. The provision (analogous to the Speedy Trial Act in the US) represents a significant shift in criminal procedure toward time-bound justice.
“For victims of sexual violence, justice delayed is not merely justice denied — it is continued victimisation. Fast Track Courts say: your case is a priority. The accused is heard, the evidence is examined, and the judgment is given — not in years, but in months. The speed is not at the cost of fairness; it is at the cost of delay.”
This Term in Indian Statutes
Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, 2012
"The State Government shall in consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court, by notification in the Official Gazette, designate for each district, a Court of Session to be a Special Court to try the offences under this Act."
POCSO Special Court: mandatory designation in each district — forms the basis for Fast Track Special Courts for child sexual offences
