CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Sunday laid the foundation stone for a multi-storeyed combined court complex to house subordinate courts in Chennai. The sessions courts, city civil courts, small-causes court, and family courts now functioning on the Madras High Court campus will be shifted to the new building after its completion.
“For an effective judicial system, infrastructure is crucial. Especially the kind that envisions future needs. The civil courts currently functioning inside the high court campus are reeling under acute space crunch,” said Munishwar Nath Bhandari, Chief Justice, the Madras High Court.
The new building would be a twin tower with 65 and 85 court halls in the first and second towers respectively and would be connected by corridors. Over 4 acres, worth over Rs 500 crore, had been sanctioned for this purpose. This was to ensure that there would not be space crunch for at least 25 years, he added.
At the event, the Chief Minister said, “A Supreme Court bench must be established in Chennai to help the people of South India. Also, Tamil should be used at the Madras High Court so that people understand trials.” He also sought social justice in the appointment of judges.
“The government sanctioned Rs 268.97 crore for financial year 2021-22 and 2022-23 for maintaining court buildings. It also issued orders to create 155 posts at various levels at subordinate courts,” he said. At the same function, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul of the Supreme Court said renovation of the Madras Law College heritage building, which had been handed over to the Madras High Court, has begun.
Supreme Court judges Indira Banerjee and V Subramanian; Minister for Public Works EV Velu, Minister for Law S Regupathy; Chief Secretary V Irai Anbu; and Advocate General R Shanmugasundaram were present.