NEW DELHI: The decision to open the gates of the Supreme Court to the general public for guided tours has received a good response. Three weeks ago, Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi announced that the public could access the insides of the apex court on Saturdays when there are no hearings, through guided tours.
The portal, which is receiving applications for the tour, has already drawn an overwhelming number of requests, especially from law students. The unique tour has caught the attention of visitors cutting across professions and age-groups.
The last few weeks also saw a high footfall of the elderly, who were equally enamoured by this tour in Lutyens Delhi’s power corridors. So far, the portal has received 600 applications, said officials handling it. The 90-minute-long guided tours on Saturdays take 20 people in two batches around the Supreme Court. During the tour, visitors are explained the modus operandi of courts, the jargons that get thrown around in courtrooms and they also have the privilege to catch a glimpse of the judge’s libraries where they spend a significant amount of time going through documents and books ahead of hearings.
Officials, however, are facing operational challenges with the free guided tour, as fewer turn up than the minimum number for a touring party. “Last Saturday, only 25 people turned up, of the 40 allocated for the tour. This puts a crunch on the visitors waiting,” an official said.
Currently, trained courtroom staff members guide the visitors around the premises. “Visitors are quite amazed by the life-size pictures of the former chief justices. They show a lot of curiosity in knowing the history of the court premises,” an official said. The apex court administration is now planning to increase the strength of the visitors.