Chief Justice of India, BR Gavai, on Wednesday laid the foundation stone for the new High Court complex in Bandra (East), delivering a strong message to authorities to “ensure there is no extravagance in its construction.”
“A court building is a temple of justice and not a seven star-hotel,” CJI Gavai stated.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Justice emphasised that the new building would house a constitutional court. He directed his remarks to the architect, Hafeez Contractor, stating that the structure should “depict democratic values and not imperialist ones.”
“Judges are no longer feudal lords,” the CJI remarked.
CJI Gavai stressed that the focus of court infrastructure must shift towards the primary users of the justice system. “While planning court buildings, we concentrate on the needs of judges, but we should not forget all of us exist for the needs of litigants, the citizens of the country who come to court to seek justice,” he said. He further added, “Bar and bench are wheels of the golden chariot for the administration of justice.”
Echoing this sentiment, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated he would request the contractor to ensure the complex encompasses “democratic grandeur” so that all functional areas convey to citizens that they will get justice.
The ceremony for the High Court complex was the Chief Justice’s second event of the day. Earlier, he inaugurated the project initiation ceremony for the city campus of the Maharashtra National Law University (MNLU) in Goregaon. At the MNLU event, Vice-Chancellor Dilip Ukey said the vision was to make the institution a “hub of world-class legal education.” The CJI invoked the contributions of Babasaheb Ambedkar to encourage students to be socially engaged.
During the High Court ceremony, CJI Gavai noted the event was his last visit to the state before demitting the top judicial post on November 24. He expressed his satisfaction with the judicial infrastructure in his home state.
“I was reluctant to be part of this event,” the CJI shared. “But now I am experiencing gratitude that, as a judge who once discharged his duties in Bombay HC, I am ending my tenure with laying the foundation stone of the best court building in the entire country. The judiciary, legislature and executive must work under the Constitution to provide justice to society.”
