The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Maharashtra Chief Secretary to convene a meeting with the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court, Justice D K Upadhyaya, and other judges to deliberate on the redevelopment of the Public Works Department (PWD) and annex buildings adjacent to the current High Court in Mumbai. This initiative aims to accommodate some courtrooms and other facilities temporarily while the new High Court complex is being constructed in Bandra.
The directive comes in the wake of Chief Justice of India, D Y Chandrachud, laying the foundation stone for the new High Court complex in Mumbai’s Bandra region on September 23. The top court’s bench, including the CJI and Justices B R Gavai and JB Pardiwala, expressed concerns about the state of the annex building which still houses several court functions and urgently requires repairs.
The discussion will also explore the possibility of the High Court establishing an arbitration and mediation center in the Air India building in South Mumbai. The Chief Justice shared his experiences working in the annex building, noting the infrastructural challenges, including leaking chambers during the monsoon.
This meeting is expected to set the course for necessary renovations and redevelopment efforts to ensure the judiciary’s needs are met until the new building is ready. The state government has also been instructed to adhere to a strict timeline for transferring the remaining land at Bandra for the construction of the new High Court building.
The groundbreaking ceremony of the new complex was a significant event attended by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, along with senior Supreme Court judges and the High Court Chief Justice. The new complex promises modern amenities including spacious courtrooms, chambers for judges, a comprehensive library, and facilities for staff, lawyers, and litigants.
