Judicial Infrastructure Advisory Committee formed to redesign India’s judicial infrastructure for the 21st century

Key facts

• The Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant announced the formation of the Judicial Infrastructure Advisory Committee to modernise courts across India.
• The high-powered panel is led by Supreme Court Justice Aravind Kumar and includes Justice Debangsu Basak (Calcutta High Court), Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra (Punjab and Haryana High Court), Justice Somasekhar Sundaresan (Bombay High Court), Director General of the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), and Secretary General of the Supreme Court.
• The committee’s mandate focuses on seven priority areas, including the e-courts initiative to eliminate the digital divide and the construction of modern court complexes for 21st-century requirements.
• The committee’s findings will form the basis for the CJI to secure substantial financial allocations from the Government of India and state governments.
• The panel will identify systemic constraints and propose improvements for facilities used by lawyers and the public, and submit a formal report to the CJI.