CJI Surya Kant Lauds Telangana's Rs 2,500 Crore 'Future-Ready' High Court Complex

He noted that courtrooms, administrative buildings, archives, residential infrastructure and training facilities will be grouped together in a single self-contained site.

The CJI was speaking after laying the foundation stone for Zone-II of the new High Court complex coming up on 100 acres at Rajendranagar.

He said after seeing conceptual drawings and models displayed, he would not mind saying that this High Court will be the best in the country.

The Chief Justice, accompanied by a few judges of the Supreme Court, Telangana High Court Chief Justice, Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh, and Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy laid the foundation stone for Zone-II, which will be spread over 60 acres.

"The judiciary will operate here on its own terms and its own turf. That's what institutional self-sufficiency looks like when we move from theory to brick and mortar," he said.

The CJI stated that two structures in zone II are close to his heart -- the auditorium and the central record room.

The auditorium will host judicial conference training programmes for the district judiciary and legal awareness for citizens. "The judiciary that ceases to learn will stop evolving. I have seen across the country and hold this convention strongly and very firmly," he said.

He stated that the central record room, designed across three levels, is equally important. "Institutional memory is not a luxury. It's the foundation of consistency in judicial reasoning. Well-preserved and accessible precedents strengthen every judgment that follows. I am pleased to see this has been given the space and seriousness it warrants," he said.

"That earnestness and solemnity are visible in another aspect of planning. The sustainable infrastructure has been woven into the design from the outset. A campus that will serve generations of judges and litigants must respect the land on which it stands," the CJI added.

He thanked the Telangana government for not only allotting 100 acres for the new building but also sanctioning over Rs 2,500 crore for the project.

Designed to serve for the next 100 years, the new High Court campus will be completed in two years.

Expressing satisfaction over the progress of Zone-I, the foundation for which was laid in 2024, he said Zone-II would be as important as a courtroom.

Terming Zone-II as the root system of this campus, he remarked that with 57 structures across 60 acres, it is designed to sustain this institution long after the courtroom opens its door.

Emphasising the need for physical infrastructure, he said, without this, the principle of access to justice will remain on paper.

"We often speak of judicial independence, whether in judgments, conferences or constitutional debates. Independence also has a very practical aspect that we sometimes overrule. The High Court that operates from scattered premises and congested buildings is a court where daily functions depend on arrangements it does not control," he said.

The CJI exuded confidence that this 100-acre campus will transform that perception and will definitely bring an element of independence in the day-to-day functioning of the judiciary with a complete state-of-the-art building.

He noted that the existing High Court building, though historical, has fallen short of what this institution needs today. "Creating infrastructure that caters to our requirements for the next 100 years, not just a goal, it's a mandate."

Chief Justice of Telangana High Court Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh noted that the Telangana government allotted 100 acres for the ambitious project planned in two phases.

The Zone-I comprises the main court complex and office buildings, while the Zone-II will house residential bungalows and a central record room.

The Chief Justice stated that the state government sanctioned Rs 2,583 crores for the construction of a new building of the High Court.

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy said that it was a great opportunity for him to initiate the project for a new High Court building. He was confident that the new High Court building would become an icon.

He recalled that after the present government assumed office in December 2023, one of the first decisions taken by it was to allot land for building the new High Court.

The CM said Zone-II, comprising residential quarters, will be completed by December 2027.

Supreme Court Judges Justice Alok Aradhe, Justice S.V. Bhatti, Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, and Justice P.S. Narasimha also spoke on the occasion.

- IANS