MADURAI: Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice Surya Kant inaugurated the new additional court building worth Rs 166 crore, in the presence of Supreme Court judges – justices JK Maheshwari, MM Sundresh, and R Mahadevan – and Chief Justice of Madras High Court Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari, at the combined district court complex in Madurai on Sunday.
In his inaugural address, Justice Surya Kant said, “The environment in which justice is administered shapes the quality of that justice in both visible and subtle ways.” A well-designed courtroom fosters discipline, promotes efficiency, and lends institutional decorum, elevating every participant in the process, he added.
The CJI also virtually inaugurated the additional guest house at the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, which will be used by judges and other dignitaries who visit Madurai for administrative and other work.
Justice R Suresh Kumar, chairman of the high court buildings committee, said the new building satisfied the long-felt need of the Madurai district judiciary. He and Portfolio judge of Madurai, Justice P Dhanabal, in their respective addresses, said the existing court building was constructed in 1970 to accommodate 15 courts, but currently 45 courts are functioning in the building.
Though the original proposal for the additional court building was to construct a six storey building with 30 court halls at Rs 230 crore, the state government allotted administrative sanction for Rs 166 crore for the construction of 18 court halls (with a foundation for 10 floors) in Phase I and the remaining 12 courts with a massive conference room was promised to be constructed in Phase II , for which proposals were pending.