Ladies and
Gentlemen, I am delighted to be among you here today. I have an old association
with the people of Jharkhand and I find their warmth amazing.
I am grateful to you all for your warm welcome and for making me
feel as if I am back at home once again.
Today, the
Jharkhand High Court is crossing an important landmark with the inauguration
of its new building. In its earlier stage, it was set up in 1972 as the Circuit
Bench of the Patna High Court. This High Court was set up after the State
of100 Jharkhand was carved out of the State of Bihar in
November 2000. In barely two decades, it has grown120 impressively,
and its sanctioned strength of judges has more than doubled from 12 to
25. The building from where it was functioning was once meant only for the
Circuit Bench. Befitting its new profile, there was obviously the need
for larger and more modern infrastructure to efficiently dispense
justice.
The new
building is truly impressive with its modern amenities and state-of-the-art
physical infrastructure. It has a residential complex for the judges and
the members of the registry, apart from200 lawyers’ chambers and the State Bar Council Building.
What is really notable is that the entire campus is designed and
constructed by keeping the principle of energy conservation in mind. On
top of it, the afforestation along with the presence240 of a
variety of trees makes it truly a green campus. I am sure this new
building of the Jharkhand High Court will inspire other public and private
organisations to make the environment the central factor in their
projects of similar nature. It is also a necessity in the age of global
warming. I congratulate everyone who has contributed to300 making
this project a reality. I find the new campus visually
pleasing as well. For those of you working here, it should be a pleasant
experience to spend your working hours in this beautiful campus. In the context
of working conditions, I would like to point out a trend
we have witnessed in recent years. Many court buildings have opened360 crèches,
so that our sisters can balance their family responsibilities with their
work. I am sure the new building would have a provision for a crèche.
This court
is a temple of justice. People of this nation look at courts400 with faith
and even the language of law reflects that feeling, when we use words like
‘pray’. People themselves have given courts the power to dispense justice, that
is to say, to set wrongs right. They come here with a prayer to get what is
just. It is a very serious responsibility indeed. That brings us to a
topic on which I have often spoken, namely, the question of access to justice.
Improving it is always a work in progress.480 We must constantly
endeavour to find new ways to continue that process.
Access has many aspects. Cost is among the500 most
important of these. It has been observed that the expenses of litigation
all too often put the quest of justice out of reach for many citizens. In
response, various authorities have taken a number of welcome initiatives,
including the opening of free legal counselling cells. Many lawyers too offer
pro bono services. I urge all stakeholders to think innovatively and
find new ways to expand the reach of justice.
Another
aspect of access is language. As English has been the
primary language of courts in India, a large section of the population is left
out of the process. The600 language of justice should be inclusive, so that the
parties to the particular case as well as interested citizens at large
can become effective stakeholders in the system. The Supreme Court made a
worthy beginning when it started making its judgments available in a number of
Indian languages, and many other courts have also been doing so
now. Needless to say, in a state like Jharkhand with rich linguistic
variety, this factor becomes all the more relevant. I am sure the
authorities are considering ways to make the court processes more accessible
to people who are more comfortable with languages700 other than
English. In overcoming these and other hurdles before access to
justice, in general, two factors are bound to720 be highly
useful. One is technology, which is changing our world by the day. This
new building has the latest technological facilities and that will
prove extremely helpful. The second factor is enthusiasm,
especially of the younger generation in the field of law and justice. They
are the ones who will come up with innovations that will improve access to
justice.
Related to
the access to justice is the question of undertrials. I spoke about
it on the Constitution Day800 last year. I cannot help but talk about this matter
close to my heart since I am addressing a distinguished gathering of
judges, legal luminaries, members of the Bar and other dignitaries. One of
the reasons behind the problem is840 that courts are overburdened, which also hurts
access to justice. I understand the problem is complex, yet the fact
remains that a large number of people languish for years in prisons as
undertrials. Prisons are overcrowded, making their life all the more difficult.
We should address the root cause of the problem. When I say ‘we’, I include the
whole900 society. Still, it is good to see that the problem has
been noticed widely, the issue is being debated, and some of the best
minds of the legal fraternity are seized of the matter. I am glad
to note that several steps have been taken to make justice delivery
system more accessible and inclusive especially for women of different
segments960 of the Indian society. I am confident that together we
will soon be able to find a way out.
I
congratulate the people of Jharkhand, judges and advocates as the High Court
moves to this magnificent building which symbolizes the1000 beauty and
power of justice. I am confident that this new building will bring with it a
new energy and the judges, lawyers and administrative staff will perform their
duties with greater dedication, commitment and efficiency.
My best wishes will be with you in all your endeavours.1047
