A Supreme Court-appointed committee has submitted an interim report to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant outlining a nationwide roadmap for modernising judicial infrastructure and addressing deficiencies in courts across the country.
The Judicial Infrastructure Advisory Committee, constituted by the CJI on May 12, is headed by Supreme Court judge Justice Aravind Kumar. Its members include Calcutta High Court Justice Debangsu Basak, Punjab and Haryana High Court Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra, Bombay High Court Justice Somasekhar Sundaresan and Central Public Works Department Director General Satinder Pal Singh. Supreme Court Secretary General Bharat Parashar is the committee’s Member Secretary.
Modern courts in focus
The panel was tasked with identifying infrastructure constraints affecting the justice delivery system and recommending improvements to facilities available to judges, court employees, lawyers, litigants and visitors. Its blueprint is aimed at creating a more unified and modern judicial infrastructure ecosystem across High Courts and district courts.
A major focus of the exercise is the establishment of modern court complexes suited to contemporary requirements. The committee also examined measures to improve working conditions for judicial officers and administrative employees, with the broader objective of increasing efficiency in the justice delivery system.
Technology forms another important part of the roadmap. The panel was asked to recommend measures for further computerisation of courts under the e-Courts initiative, develop citizen-centric services and identify ways of bridging the digital divide so that technological changes make the judicial system more accessible rather than creating new barriers.
Funding key to overhaul
The committee’s blueprint is expected to form the basis for seeking substantial financial support from the Centre and state governments for upgrading court infrastructure nationwide.
When the committee was constituted in May, the exercise envisaged government funding in the range of Rs 40,000 crore to Rs 50,000 crore for judicial infrastructure. The panel was asked to assess requirements across the country and build a case for adequate allocation of funds to tackle long-standing deficiencies.
The committee submitted its interim report on August 31, meeting the deadline fixed when it was constituted. The Supreme Court has not yet made public the specific projects, financial requirements or individual recommendations contained in the report.
India’s judicial infrastructure is currently developed through a combination of state expenditure and central assistance. The Centre has been implementing a centrally sponsored scheme for infrastructure facilities in district and subordinate courts, covering court halls, residential units for judicial officers, lawyers’ halls, toilet complexes and digital computer rooms.
As of February 28, India had 22,712 court halls against a sanctioned judicial strength of 25,894 judges, underlining the infrastructure gap confronting the lower judiciary.
The interim roadmap is expected to guide further discussions between the judiciary and governments on financing and implementing a coordinated modernisation programme across the country.