‘New judicial complex key to access to justice’: CJI Surya Kant at Rangmahal

Guwahati, Jan 11: Assam’s proposed integrated judicial complex moved a step closer to reality on Sunday with Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice Surya Kant laying the foundation stone at Rangmahal in North Guwahati.

CJI Kant, the 53rd Chief Justice of India, inaugurated the ceremony by lighting the ceremonial lamp.

Addressing the gathering, he described the project as more than a construction exercise, calling it a reaffirmation of the Constitution’s promise of access to justice.

“For litigants, the challenge often begins not inside the courtroom but in simply reaching it. The burden of travel drains the energy that should otherwise go into presenting their case,” Justice Kant said, adding that integrated judicial infrastructure would significantly ease this hardship.

He said his priority as head of the judiciary is to secure the future generation of lawyers. While stressing that senior members of the Bar must always be respected, he noted that young advocates require adequate space and facilities to build their professional lives.

Justice Kant expressed initial surprise over opposition from sections of the Bar, suggesting that resistance may stem from misinformation or a failure to fully recognise the needs of young lawyers entering the profession.

Several dignitaries, including Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and judges of the Supreme Court and Gauhati High Court, were present at the ceremony, even as sections of the legal fraternity continued to protest the proposed relocation of the High Court to Rangmahal.

In his address, Sarma sought to address concerns raised by sections of the Bar over the shift. Recalling his own professional beginnings at the Gauhati High Court, the Chief Minister said that while the State Assembly and Secretariat had seen major upgrades over the years, the High Court’s infrastructure had remained largely unchanged.

Sarma said the idea of shifting the High Court was first raised in 2022 by then Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court, Justice Sandeep Mehta.

He added that he had cautioned that any further delay could push the project far beyond Guwahati, to locations such as Chhaygaon, Boko or Jagiroad.

After evaluating multiple sites, Rangmahal was identified as the most suitable, following which 129 bighas of land were acquired. Sarma said local residents cooperated fully in the land acquisition process.

According to the Chief Minister, the new complex will initially house 31 courtrooms, 300 chambers for advocates and a Bar library with a seating capacity of 2,000.

“Separate arrangements have been planned for district judiciary lawyers, including space for 2,000 advocates, a 1,000-seat auditorium, examination halls, a health centre, cafeteria and canteen, along with landscaped green areas. A four-lane access road has also been planned exclusively for the High Court,” he said.

Responding to concerns that travel time from the existing High Court to Rangmahal could take up to two hours, Sarma invited protesting lawyers to visit the site on March 1.

He said that if the journey from Dighalipukhuri exceeded 20–25 minutes, he would accept their apprehensions as valid.

He added that the digitally enabled complex, with provisions for advanced technologies such as augmented and virtual reality, would improve access to justice for people in remote areas and emerge as an identity of a “new Assam”.

The state government, Sarma said, would invest around Rs 1,700 crore in the project, with over Rs 480 crore allocated for the first phase and Rs 1,200 crore for the second.

Earlier, Supreme Court judge Justice Sandeep Mehta expressed disappointment over the absence of some members of the Bar at the ceremony.

He said such a decision was not in the interest of younger lawyers, adding that the upcoming infrastructure would allow young advocates to function like “real professionals” with dedicated chambers and facilities.

Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, addressing the gathering, acknowledged apprehensions within the legal community regarding the new High Court complex.

He assured that the judiciary understood the difficulties faced by lawyers and that no step would be taken detrimental to their interests.

Citing figures, Justice Bhuyan said that when he joined the Bar in March 1991, Assam had around 5,090 registered lawyers, a number that has now crossed 55,000. The Gauhati High Court Bar Association, which had fewer than 400 members at the time, now has nearly 5,000, he said.

“With a large number of law graduates joining the profession every year, the need for adequate space has become unavoidable,” Justice Bhuyan observed.

The speakers reiterated that the Rangmahal project was conceived to strengthen long-term judicial efficiency and support the professional growth of the legal fraternity.