CJI lays foundation for new court complex amidst lawyers’ protest in Assam

Guwahati, Jan 11 (PTI) Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Sunday laid the foundation for an Integrated Judicial Court Complex in Assam’s Kamrup district amid protests by the Gauhati High Court Bar Association (GHCBA) against the move to shift the High Court.

CJI Kant expressed ‘surprise’ at the opposition, maintaining that ‘personal vested interests should not be valid grounds’ for resisting development.

The GHCBA has been opposing the relocation of the high court to Rangmahal in North Guwahati from the heart of Guwahati city, citing concerns over accessibility, infrastructure and the lack of stakeholder consultation.

The CJI, in his speech, said the Integrated Judicial Court Complex has been envisaged to match the aspirations of the future.

As the head of the country's judiciary, Justice Kant stressed that he is bound to cater to the needs of those coming into the profession.

The CJI said that he was surprised when he learnt that the GHCBA is opposing the new integrated court complex, which will also house the Gauhati High Court.

The Gauhati High Court serves as the high court for the states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram.

“Those opposing the new court complex are either ill-informed or not realising the needs of new members of the bar. Personal vested interests should not be valid grounds for opposing development of infrastructure for the future,” the CJI added.

CJI Kant said the site for the new complex is ‘strategically positioned' and will provide all facilities under one roof.

Mentioning that a large number of pending cases before courts in the country, he maintained that efficiency of infrastructure alone will not solve this problem.

He pitched for mediation and structural dialogue, not as a compromise but as an effective way for dispute resolution rather than going for confrontational litigation.

Supreme Court judge, Justice Sandeep Mehta, during whose term as the head of the Gauhati HC the decision to relocate was taken, expressed disappointment over some of the lawyers not participating in the programmme.

Justice Mehta, in his speech, asserted that the new complex will benefit the younger members and enable them to function with dedicated facilities.

Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, another judge of he apex court, said that while some lawyers may have apprehensions, but nothing which is ‘slightest detrimental’ to their interests will be done.

“Judiciary needs space, literally and metaphorically. Let us join hands for the new infrastructure,” he added.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma maintained that the opposition citing travel time will not hold good once the new bridge over the Brahmaputra river is inaugurated next month.

“A section of lawyers is opposing the new complex. In a democracy, a government should respect all opposition. But, their main contention that it will take two hours to reach the new site will not hold ground after the Guwahati-North Guwahati bridge over the Brahmaputra is inaugurated by the Prime Minister in February,” he said.

Sarma claimed that the driving time from Dighalipukhuri area of Guwahai, near which the high court is at present situated, to Rangmahal will be around 20-25 minutes through the new bridge.

Envisioned as a modern judicial city, the new complex will be developed over 148 bighas (around 49 acres) with a phase-I cost of around Rs 479 crore, officials said.

The new complex will house the principal seat of the Gauhati High Court, district court buildings, and high court office and bar buildings. It will also have parking facilities for 900 cars and 400 two-wheelers.

The chief minister said the state government will be spending a total of Rs 1,700 crore for the project.

Meanwhile, members of the GHCBA staged a four-hour hunger strike from 10 am in front of the old High Court building. They had carried out similar hunger strikes on Thursday and Friday also.

"We are completely against shifting the high court from the present location, which is the heart of the city. None of our members will attend the function," GHCBA vice president Santanu Borthakur told PTI.

"We are thinking of challenging this in court. Our executive committee will meet within the next few days and decide the future course of action," he added.

Assam Advocate General Devajit Saikia on Saturday criticised the GHCBA, claiming that there was a "nexus with political parties" behind the protest.

The Gauhati High Court is located in the Uzan Bazar area of central Guwahati on the southern bank of the Brahmaputra. It has a historical building, while a state-of-the-art multi-crore modern multi-storey structure was constructed and inaugurated a few years ago.

Both the buildings are located face-to-face and are connected through an underground tunnel, having escalator facilities.

The Assam government is seeking to develop the riverfront of the Brahmaputra, for which it requires the high court land. A new convention centre is also being built next to the old high court complex on the riverbank. PTI SSG TR BDC RG NN SOM SSG SSG NN