CJI Surya Kant inaugurates Gurugram’s Tower of Justice judicial complex

The seven-acre complex includes video conferencing, a mediation centre, record rooms, a bar library, bank and post office.

The Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant, on Sunday inaugurated the “Tower of Justice” in Gurugram, a new judicial complex with 56 courtrooms and digital infrastructure. The complex replaces the nearly five-decade-old district court infrastructure and is expected to enhance judicial capacity.

The Chief Justice said the new infrastructure will improve access to justice as litigation rises with the city’s rapid economic growth. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

Addressing the gathering, Kant said, “The construction of judicial complexes equipped with state-of-the-art facilities is a clear reflection of the Haryana government’s sensitivity and commitment towards strengthening the justice delivery system. Judicial buildings such as the Tower of Justice will contribute to creating a more conducive environment for the administration of justice.”

(From left) Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini; CJI Surya Kant; Union minister Manohar Lal. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

Recalling that he laid the foundation stone in January 2017 as a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Kant said Gurugram’s growth had increased litigation. “More than half of the Fortune 500 companies have their regional offices in Gurugram, while over 1,500 Indian companies and start-ups operate here. Gurugram courts are presently dealing with over 24,000 civil disputes, nearly 1,000 commercial disputes and more than one lakh cases under the Negotiable Instruments Act,” he said, adding that the complex would improve access to justice and expedite case disposal. He said, “The true significance of courts lies not in the grandeur of their buildings but in how effectively they reduce the distance between citizens and justice.”

Spread over nearly seven acres, the complex houses digitally enabled courtrooms, video conferencing facilities, a judicial record room, a mediation centre, a bar library, a bank and a post office. A proposed international arbitration centre under the supervision of the Punjab and Haryana High Court is also planned.

Haryana Chief minister Nayab Singh Saini called the complex “a powerful symbol of the dignity of the Constitution, the prestige of the judiciary and the unwavering faith of citizens in the justice delivery system”. He said, “Along with Ease of Doing Business, equal importance must be given to Ease of Justice.” He also announced that a portion of the old judicial complex would be redeveloped to construct modern chambers for advocates.

CJI Kant inaugurated the complex in the presence of CM Saini, Union housing and urban affairs minister Manohar Lal, Union minister of state for law and justice Arjun Ram Meghwal, Union minister of state Rao Inderjit Singh, judges of the Supreme Court and Punjab and Haryana High Courts, senior judicial officers and members of the Bar. During the event, the Chief Justice also virtually laid the foundation stone of the judicial complexes at Tawadu and Punhana in the Nuh district.