CJI DY Chandrachud Lays Foundation Stone Of New Telangana High Court Building, Bats For Inclusive Infra For Women, Disabled

Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Wednesday called for conducive infrastructure in courts for all, including women and the disabled. While laying the foundation stone for new Telangana High Court building he said,"Infrastructure should not depict stubble signs of exclusion in the form of bad washrooms, absence of bar rooms for women, lack of ramps...Conspicuous in their absence they tell people that Courts are not meant for them or they must overcome additional hurdles to have access to justice. Lurking as bad infrastructure, these are vestiges of a patriarchal system that places undue importance on physical appearances. I believe the new High Court will be a great opportunity, to put a decisive end to some of these hurdles, at least in our physical infrastructure.”Recently, the State government had allocated 100 acres for construction of the new High Court premise. The foundation stone laying ceremony for the same was held yesterday at Rajendranagar. In his keynote address, CJI said High Court building is a public space for the contestation of ideas, values, rights, duties, and obligations."We may belong to different ideologies, regions, cultures, backgrounds, and religions, but the most important thing that marks us out of us as lawyers is the great syncretic tradition in India, which is we rise above our birthmarks, which defines our existence. Our birthmarks are our reasons for existence, but as lawyers and judges, we rise above those birthmarks, in the senses, our universal identity, which is a quest for justice, in a framework, governed by the rule of law. Something that stands out in our institution is our universality, and our ability to stand with each other and pursue a common quest for justice, which is truly the hallmark of the judiciary and the bar which is the biggest tributary of the judiciary,” he said.Batting for inclusivity, CJI continued, “We want to create an infrastructure which can reach out to the people. It is intended to reach out to the broader cross-section of society, and the reason for this is to send a message to them, that litigation is not a matter of last resort in your life, or even things that precede it, like mediation or arbitration, these are matters for the just, peaceful and stable resolution of our society.”The Chief Justice ended his note on the importance of mentoring and the lack of mentoring, not just between the Bar or the Bar and Bench but within the Bench as well.Dignitaries including Justice PS Narasimha, Justice Sarasa Vankatanarayana Bhatti, Justice PV Sanjay Kumar of the Supreme Court also attended the event. Telangana Chief Justice Alok Aradhe, judges of the State, Advocate General, Additional Advocate Generals, and members of the Bar were also present. Chief Justice Alok Aradhe said the laying of the foundation stone marks not only the construction of the new high court building but the commitment to a stronger, fairer, and more accessible justice-delivering system. "The true strength of the Court does not lie in its physical structure but in the principles it stands for…. I also want to ensure everyone that the new High Court building will be environmentally friendly.” Justice PS Narasimha thanked the Chief Justice of Telangana High Court for his efforts in garnering the land for the new High Court building. “Infrastructure is not an end in itself, but it certainly empowers human resources,” he said.Giving the example of the Supreme Court, Justice Narasimha narrated how the Court was able to introduce a variety of facilities which was only possible due to the supportive infrastructure. “This investment is nothing but an investment in ourselves.”Being from the State of Telangana, he reminisced about the forest that once covered the land and ended his keynote by saying “The structure that is to come, should be environmentally friendly, and I'm sure the Chief Justice (Alok Aradhe) will ensure that.” The ceremony concluded with the National Anthem.

CJI DY Chandrachud Lays Foundation Stone Of New Telangana High Court Building, Bats For Inclusive Infra For Women, Disabled

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