The Punjab and Haryana High Court has constituted a committee to identify measures for strengthening judicial infrastructure, particularly court buildings, as part of a broader effort to modernise the justice delivery system and improve access to justice.
The committee will examine ways to bolster judicial infrastructure in keeping with the expanding requirements of the justice delivery system.
“A committee has been constituted to go into, and find out ways, how judicial infrastructure, especially in the form of court buildings, can be strengthened,” Acting Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra said.
The committee’s constitution comes amid a renewed focus on judicial infrastructure. The region has witnessed the inauguration of two major infrastructure projects in recent weeks—the Tower of Justice, or the new court complex, in Gurugram and the multi-level parking facility at the Sector 43 District Courts in Chandigarh. The two projects were inaugurated in quick succession within about a month of Justice Mishra assuming charge as Acting Chief Justice.
Justice Mishra said the initiatives were conceived under the leadership of Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant, with judicial infrastructure being accorded priority. “It is not just this particular project, but many more which are to come,” he said.
The development assumes significance as Punjab has 23 and Haryana 22 sessions divisions, each headed by a District and Sessions Judge and comprising several sub-divisional courts. While many judicial complexes across the two states have been renovated, expanded or newly constructed in recent years, the need for continually upgrading judicial infrastructure has grown with the evolving demands on the justice delivery system.
Referring to the importance of adequate infrastructure, Justice Mishra said the rule of law had to be preserved and strengthened by all constitutional functionaries, though the primary responsibility rested with the judiciary.
“Rule of law, we all know, has to be preserved and strengthened by all constitutional functionaries. But the basic responsibility lies upon the judicial wing of the State,” the ACJ asserted.
Describing litigants as the “ultimate consumers of justice”, Justice Mishra said adequate infrastructure was indispensable for judges, lawyers and litigants alike. “It is therefore all the more necessary that we have appropriate infrastructure available so that the litigants, who are the ultimate consumers of justice, are able to find the required relief. Unless we have the requisite infrastructure, it becomes very difficult for the judges, for the lawyers and for the litigants to look for reprieve in a constitutional setup,” the ACJ said.
The emphasis on strengthening judicial infrastructure is in line with Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant’s broader vision for modernising the justice delivery system. “A court building has meaning when it helps reduce the distance between the citizen and justice. Infrastructure is essential because it creates the conditions for efficient functioning, better case management and dignified access to courts. At the same time, the real test is whether the ordinary litigant feels heard, respected and treated with fairness,” the CJI said.
Justice Surya Kant also asserted that judicial modernisation extended well beyond creating world-class court complexes or introducing cutting-edge technology. “Every reform initiative must ultimately strengthen public confidence in the justice delivery system and reinforce the constitutional promise that justice remains accessible to every citizen,” he said.