We Increase Strength Of Judges, But Are Unable To Better Infrastructure: Justice S Ravindra Bhat  

New Delhi: Recommending the Andhra Pradesh government to have a master plan for all courts with uniform sizes and amenities, Delhi High Court Judge S Ravindra Bhat said the judicial system can increase the strength of judges but is unable to make changes to the existing infrastructure.

Speaking at a workshop on 'Andhra Pradesh: Building the Nation's First Justice City' which was jointly organised by Centre for Strategy and Leadership (CSL) and Capital Region Development Authority, the nodal agency for developing Amaravati, Bhat appreciated the AP government's desire to build a high court in a public-friendly manner.

"Courts basically are for the people, for access to justice. We must look at public buildings which are friendly to the people," Bhat said.

The event was attended by Supreme Court judges N V Ramana, L Nageswara Rao, Vineet Saran and Mohan Shantanagoudar. Justices Suresh Kait and Prathiba M Singh of the Delhi High Court were also among the dignitaries.

Amaravati, the new capital of Andhra Pradesh, is being built on nine planned cities, each focusing on one particular theme critical to development. Justice city is one of the proposed cities.

Amaravati has immortality in its name, and justice is also immortal, said Justice Singh, adding that she hoped "this justice city would live for many, many years".

Praveen Prakash, resident commissioner of the Andhra Pradesh government, said, "There is a big opportunity that lies in the Justice city for legal firms, offices, law institutes, colleges, resource centres, legal process outsourcing units, legal think-tanks, research centres, NGOs, as well as for the para legal and allied industries." Vikas Sharma, chief executive and director of CSL, said Andhra Pradesh has always been a forward-thinking state.

"The state has set-up a legal services committee to provide free and competent legal aid to the needy. It is also among the first in the country to set-up an integrated criminal justice system for faster and better prosecution. Now, the state is breaking new ground by building an entire city with Justice at its core,” said Sharma.

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( PTI)