New Delhi, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has said the addition of two new court complexes in Kerala was an important investment in the ability to respond to the “growing need for justice” and bringing courts closer to the people.
These figures show that as our society grows and becomes more complex, the pressure upon our courts also multiplies. In his address, the CJI said, “I am told that nearly 30,000 civil cases and over a lakh criminal cases are presently pending in the district. The new court complexes are, therefore, an important investment in our ability to respond to this growing need for justice.”
“I am equally pleased to know that a separate hall for women members of the bar has been provided. A modern court complex must recognise that the bar itself is changing, and that women advocates are an indispensable and growing part of our justice system. They must, therefore, have an environment that recognises their contribution and affords them dignity and equal professional space,” the CJI said.
He said counselling rooms in family courts with separate cubicles was a thoughtful addition as a private and dignified space for counselling reflects sensitivity towards those who come here seeking help at some of the most difficult moments of their lives. “I believe these court complexes embody that vision, and I hope that everyone who enters through their doors feels that this is an institution designed with their needs and their dignity in mind,” the CJI said.
CJI Kant said the presence of mediation halls in the complexes reflected institutional commitment to mediation and to the larger idea that every dispute need not travel the entire length of a trial before it finds a resolution.
