TIRUPATI: Emphasising that courts must build faith among citizens, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said that every person who approaches a court seeking justice should leave with the confidence that justice will be delivered. He stated that it is the collective responsibility of judges to uphold this trust and ensure that the justice delivery system remains accessible, transparent and effective.
The CJI was addressing the gathering after laying the foundation stone and performing the groundbreaking ceremony for a new court complex comprising 16 court halls at Daminedu in Tirupati Rural mandal.
The event marked the beginning of construction of a modern district court complex aimed at improving judicial infrastructure in the region.
Addressing the gathering, Justice Surya Kant said he had always believed that court complexes should function like hospitals. Just as a patient visiting a hospital expects immediate care and reassurance, every person entering a court should feel safe and confident that justice will be delivered. This responsibility rests equally on both the Bar and the Bench.
The CJI expressed hope that the new complex would emerge as a ‘temple of justice’, where every visitor leaves with satisfaction after receiving justice. He also appreciated the intellectual strength and historical legacy of the Tirupati Bar and wished for its continued growth. The new complex, he said, would provide a better working environment for lawyers and judicial officers.
Justice JK Maheshwari said that ensuring affordable access to justice and delivering decisions within predictable timelines would remain key challenges. He urged State governments to plan judicial infrastructure keeping in mind the needs of the next 50 to 100 years, noting that urbanisation and population growth would make land availability difficult in the future.
Andhra Pradesh High Court Chief Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur said significant efforts had been made to strengthen judicial infrastructure in the State after bifurcation despite difficult circumstances. He stressed that better infrastructure directly improves efficiency in the justice delivery system and recalled how courts continued functioning even during extreme situations such as floods in Jammu and Kashmir, demonstrating the commitment of the judiciary.
According to officials, the new district court complex will be constructed on about 14.49 acres near Tirupati with a total built-up area of 2.40 lakh square feet.
Justice Ninala Jaya Surya described the occasion as a memorable milestone in the history of the district judiciary, stating that the presence of the Chief Justice of India and Supreme Court judges would inspire members of the Bar and the Bench.
Tirupati Bar Association president G. Gajendra also spoke at the programme.
The Chief Justice attended the programme along with Supreme Court judges Justice J.K. Maheshwari, Justice P.S. Narasimha, Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra, Justice S.V.N. Bhatti and Justice Joymalya Bagchi.
Judges of the AP High Court Justice D. Ramesh, Justice K Maheswara Rao, Justice TCD Sekhar, DIG Shemushi Bajpayee, Combined Chittoor District Principal Judge Aruna Sarika, Additional District Judge Gurunatham, District Collector Dr S. Venkateswar, SP L. Subba Rayudu and others also took part in the foundation stone-laying event.