Law Minister, LGs of J&K, Ladakh, SC Judges to attend ceremony
Over Rs 800 cr project to have all modern facilities
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, June 26: Chief Justice of India Dr Justice D Y Chandrachud will lay foundation stone of new complex of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court in Raika area of Jammu on June 28. The complex equipped with modern facilities is estimated to cost over Rs 800 crore and will be completed in shortest possible time.
Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, Supreme Court Judges Sanjay Kishan Koul and Pankaj Mithal, Lieutenant Governor of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha and Lieutenant Governor of Union Territory of Ladakh B D Mishra and all the Judges of J&K and Ladakh High Court will attend the ceremony.
The project was approved by the then State Administrative Council (SAC) vide its Decision No.259/22/2019 dated October 22, 2019. The Administrative Council had accorded sanction for use of 40.6565 hectares of forest land for development of infrastructure for the High Court in Raika area in the outskirt of Jammu city with the condition that the user agency shall restrict the number of trees to be felled to 3000 only.
Thereafter, the Forest Advisory Committee cleared the proposal with additional terms and conditions vis-à-vis felling of trees and payment of compensation of trees as assessed by the Forest Department. Moreover, the State Board for Wildlife after due and detailed deliberations approved the proposal for use of 40.6565 hectares of forest land for construction of High Court complex.
Further, Architect Goonmeet Chauhan, who has designed many High Courts including Delhi High Court, metro stations and malls, was selected by the Government after a tendering process keeping in view his extensive experience. Following enacted of J&K Reorganization Act and extension of all Central Laws, the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs even obtained necessary clearance from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests as per the provisions of the Central Forest Act.
The project was conceptualized by the then Chief Justice of J&K High Court Gita Mittal as the existing campus of Jammu High Court is in a decrepit state and suffers on various factors. Moreover, the existing High Court building is completely unsafe from fire safety standards as well as from security point of view and therefore is under constant threat. Further, the record room is overflowing and large number of files are lying in the garages.
The project was vigorously followed by Justice Pankaj Mithal, former Chief Justice of J&K High Court and presently Judge in the Supreme Court of India and present CJ Justice N Kotishwar Singh.
The new campus has been conceptualized as a self-contained integrated complex with all multi-disciplinary facilities for an effective judicial eco-system. The new High Court complex will have 35 court rooms and space for expansion up to 70 court rooms. It will also have chambers for 1000 lawyers with space for expansion in future.
Further, the new complex will have auditoriums, administrative block, mediation centre, medical centre, computer centre, judges’ library and sufficient facilities for litigants. It will also be equipped with accommodation, Judicial Academy, convention facilities etc.
Meanwhile, for the first time High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh is going to host two-days All India Legal Services Authorities Meet on June 30 and July 1 at Srinagar. The meet will be inaugurated by Chief Justice of India in the presence of Union Law Minister and Lieutenant Governors of both the Union Territories.
Twenty Judges of the Supreme Court of India, Chief Justices of all the High Courts of the country, 37 Executive Chairman of respective State Legal Services Authorities, 35 Chairman of Legal Services Authorities of High Courts and 37 Member Secretaries of the Legal Services Authorities will participate in the meeting.
The meeting will deliberate on the progress made in the Legal Services Sector till date and chalk out future strategy.
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