Institute of Legal and Management Studies

Supreme Court judge Justice Surya Kant on Sunday addressed a gathering at the inauguration of a heritage building at the Madras High Court.

“The Madras High Court stands tall among India's chartered HCs as a guardian of institutional promise and symbol of our collective pursuit of justice, since its inception in 1862 this court has nurtured a dazzling lineage of jurists. The renovated heritage building we inaugurate today strengthens that lineage, a physical and moral expansion of our courts building holds a special emotional resonance," he said.

"Judicial infrastructure is not merely about the grandiosity of the architecture. It is about Justice itself. For justice to be timely, fair and efficient, courts must be equipped with the right environment physically, technologically & humanly. Infrastructural investment is not a mere indulgence but an imperative. Every court hall added, every digital terminal installed, every bench made accesible to PwDs; each of these in subtle ways expands the reach of justice," he added.

He stated that while justice depends on human integrity, it thrives on institutional support. When judges, advocates and staff function in an environment of dignity and comfort, it enhances their clarity, patience and apathy.

"Infrastructure is not an administrative concern alone. It is an instrument that shapes how justice is percieved and delivered," he said.

Speaking of the investment in judicial infrastructure over the last decades, he said, "This kind of investment must be seen as an investment in the public trust. The justice system is not of the few public institutions where the slightest dysfunction directly effects human liberty."

"A judiciary that functions in dignity guarantees to citizens their fundamental rights it ensures that justice is not an accident of…of geography but a promise fulfilled uniformly across the land. I sincerely hope this renovated building serves a symbol of integration of old and new of scholarship and service of continuity and change," he concluded.