Hyderabad: Chief Justice of India Justice D.Y. Chandrachud on Wednesday laid the foundation stone to the proposed new High Court building for the Telangana High Court at Rajendranagar in Hyderabad.
Speaking on the occasion, CJI Chandrchud said the Telangana High Court is young that has old pedigree and distinguished tradition. He said it not only stands tall for its architecture, but some of the judges and advocates made the High Court unique in the judicial field.
The foundation laying ceremony was also attended by Supreme Court judges Justice P.S. Narasimha, Justice P.V. Sanjay Kumar and Justice S.V. Bhatti, Telangana High Court Chief Justice Alok Aradhe, all High Court judges, Telangana State Chief Secretary Shanti Kumari, DGP Ravi Gupta and other state government officials.
Reminding the precedent that judges like Justice Koka Subbarao, Justice Chinnappa Reddy and Justice Jeevan Reddy have set, the CJI said he would remember their names for their excellence and social vision every week.
He hoped that the same tradition will continue and the tradition of the Telangana High Court will continue in the future.
Stating that the building of the High Court is a public space for the contestation of ideas, values, rights, duties and obligations, the Chief Justice of India said that constructing the new High Court building will define the dignity of the judiciary.
CJI Chandrachud said it is sad to say that some premises of district judiciary in India do not have washrooms for women lawyers and not even for women judges. “This is the truth of the Indian judiciary... But now it is changing,” the CJI said.
The Chief Justice said a report prepared by the Supreme Court highlights the significant deficit in infrastructure for district judiciary and high courts.
Further, he said that the public spaces reflect pre-existing social inequalities in our society like no provisions provided for the disabled persons like no ramps for disabled, no wash rooms for women, and no special arrangements for visually-disabled persons. “The inequality is coming from our patriarchal system,” observed CJI and hoped that the brand new building of the Telangana High Court will overcome the deficit in physical infrastructure.
Stating that half of the newly recruited judges at district level were women, and this number could rise further in the next decade, the CJI said there is a need to provide adequate facilities to them.
He appreciated the Telangana government for allotting the land for constructing the new building to serve the future needs. He also appreciated the Telangana High Court Chief Justice Alok Aradhe for his efforts to set up the new High Court building for the Telangana High Court.
CJI Chandrachud also virtually inaugurated 32 e-sewa kendras in the district courts, which were meant for the purpose of the e-courts projects. He said “during British rule, people were expected to reach out to the judiciary. But times have changed now and the judiciary has to reach out to the citizens.”
He said the working of the judiciary is mundane and routine in nature. “But the demography has changed as the younger society is impatient for long waits and they are not in a position to wait for days, months and years for results. Lawyers of younger generations are also impatient,” he observed.
The CJI expressed his disappointment about lack of mentoring values in the judicial system either in Bar or Bench. “Young lawyers are not mentored by the seniors. At the same time the senior Judges must mentor even lawyers as well as new judges,” he said.
