New Delhi, May 12
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has announced the formation of a high-powered committee to prepare a nationwide plan for modernising court infrastructure and securing greater financial support from governments.
The new Judicial Infrastructure Advisory Committee will be headed by Supreme Court judge Justice Aravind Kumar and is expected to address long-standing infrastructural gaps in courts across India.
According to a statement issued by the Supreme Court, the committee has been created to ensure a “unified infrastructural ecosystem” for both High Courts and District Courts across the country.
The panel includes Justices Debangsu Basak of the Calcutta High Court, Ashwani Kumar Mishra of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, and Somasekhar Sundaresan of the Bombay High Court. The Director General of the Central Public Works Department and the Secretary General of the Supreme Court will also serve as members.
The committee will submit its recommendations to the Chief Justice of India, who is expected to take up the matter with the central and state governments for implementation and funding support.
Officials said the panel is likely to focus on seven major areas, including identifying structural shortcomings in courts, improving facilities for litigants and lawyers, and adopting modern technology to speed up case disposal.
The initiative will also prioritise the expansion of e-courts and efforts to bridge the digital divide within the judicial system. Plans for the development of modern court complexes suited to the needs of the 21st century are also expected to form part of the blueprint.
The move comes amid increasing concern over delays in India’s judicial system and growing demands for better infrastructure and digital access in courts nationwide.
