Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Aug 15: The Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Tuesday referred to arbitrary arrests and threatened demolitions and underlined the important role the judiciary plays in ensuring that “institutions of governance function within the defined constitutional limits.”
Addressing his colleagues at an Independence Day event at the Supreme Court premises, Chandrachud said the courts provide a “safe democratic space for individuals to seek protection of their rights and liberties.”
Without specifying any case of demolition or arbitrary arrests, the CJI said irrespective of the outcome of a case, the strength of the system was to grant justice. “That sense of confidence in an individual that an arbitrary arrest, a threatened demolition, if their properties are attached unlawfully, must find solace and a voice in judges of the Supreme Court,” he said, with Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal present on stage as special guest at the event organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association.
“The Supreme Court particularly has been the vanguard of institutional governance by enhancing access to justice and promoting constitutional values. The past 76 years suggest that the history of the Indian judiciary is the history of the daily life struggles of the Indian people. If our history teaches us anything, it is this – that no matter is big or small for the courts,” Chief Justice Chandrachud said. The Chief Justice said by examining and delivering judgments on disputes and grievances, the courts were merely performing their plain constitutional duty.
The CJI’s speech followed the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort where he praised the Supreme Court in promoting regional languages by translating copies of important judgements in regional languages.
“I believe the challenge of the judiciary is to eliminate the barriers of access to justice and have a roadmap in place to ensure the judiciary is accessible and inclusive to the last person in line,” he said. The top judge also assured his colleagues that every complaint, each letter to him, and even addressed to social media instead of him, is dealt with by him personally.
Chief Justice Chandrachud also outlined the apex court’s expansion project with 27 additional courts and 51 judges’ chambers in a bid to overhaul judicial infrastructure at the earliest. Currently, the Supreme Court has 17 courtrooms and two registrar courts. Its judicial strength is 32.
Chief Justice Chandrachud said an “overhaul” of the court infrastructure was necessary on a priority basis to make courts more accessible and inclusive. The top judge said the emphasis of the new project would be on modernising the judicial infrastructure.
“We plan to expand the Supreme Court by constructing a new building to accommodate 27 additional courts, 51 judges’ chambers, 4 Registrar Court Rooms, 16 Registrar Chambers, and other requisite facilities for lawyers and litigants. This expansion is proposed in two phases,” Chief Justice Chandrachud said.
Elaborating on the expansion of the Supreme Court through the proposed two-phase project, the CJI said in the first stage, the court museum and annexe building would be demolished to construct a new building with 15 courtrooms, judges’ chambers, Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) library, offices for the SCBA and Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCAoRA) office-bearers, canteen, women lawyers bar room and other facilities.
In the next phase, some of the portion of the existing court complex would be demolished for the construction of the second part of the new building to accommodate 12 courtrooms, judges’ chambers, registrar courts, and lounge for SCBA and SCAoRA.
“The new building will reflect the constitutional aspirations, beliefs, and priorities of the Indian people, in addition to providing a space which facilitates access to justice,” Chief Justice Chandrachud said.
The Chief Justice highlighted the importance of technology as the “best tool” courts could wield against the inefficiency and opacity in judicial processes and to overcome the procedural barriers to justice.
“Phase III of the e-Courts project seeks to revolutionise the working of courts in India by inter-linking of all courts across the country, setting up the infrastructure of paperless court, digitisation of court records, and setting up advanced e-sewa kendras in all court complexes,” Chief Justice Chandrachud said.
Technology is also being used by the top court to make its premises and services disabled-friendly. “The court had operationalised screen readable website and case files to remove the barriers faced by the blind community in accessing the court services,” the Chief Justice noted.
