Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant on Sunday said his goal has been to build a judiciary that is modern and humane, which is technologically advanced but with a firm foundation in constitutional values.
Speaking after inaugurating Tower of Justice, the new District Court Complex in Gurugram, on Sunday, he said, “The actual importance of courts does not lie in their grandeur, but in how much they reduce the distance between the citizen and justice. This complex is a symbol of that very thought.”
“My wish is that this Tower of Justice does not remain just a grand building, but becomes a symbol of impartial, effective and sensitive justice for every citizen,” the CJI said. “Along with speedy disposal of cases, our effort should also be that no citizen feels deprived of justice due to economic, social or procedural difficulties.”
The CJI, who had laid the foundation stone for the project in January 2017 as a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, said the new facility was conceived to bridge the growing gap between citizens and the judicial system in one of India’s fastest-growing corporate hubs.
Highlighting the rise in litigation, the CJI noted that Gurugram’s courts currently have over 24,000 civil disputes, around 1,000 commercial disputes, and more than one lakh cases under the Negotiable Instruments Act pending.
The complex will have 56 courtrooms. At present, Gurugram has 63 judicial officers. Officials informed that at least 50 additional courts would be required for the effective and speedy disposal of pending matters.
To meet the requirements of the time, the complex has been equipped with video conferencing facilities and a systematic judicial record room. A proposed International Arbitration Centre, to be run under the aegis of the High Court, will also be set up to handle commercial disputes.
In a push for inclusivity, an 1,800-sq m Ladies Bar Room for women advocates with seating for 30 and a childcare centre have been built on the premises.
CJI Surya Kant thanked the Haryana Government, the Punjab and Haryana High Court, and the district judiciary for their cooperation in completing the project, and concluded with “Jai Hind. Jai Bharat.”
