Madhya Pradesh High Court Chief Justice RV Malimath emphasized that the lack of infrastructure remains a significant obstacle to increasing the number of judges in courts. He stressed that without a long-term vision, the issue of pending cases cannot be effectively resolved, leaving litigants to endure prolonged suffering.
Speaking at a gathering after virtually laying the foundation stone for the MP High Court’s infrastructure development in Jabalpur, Indore, and Gwalior, with an allocated budget of Rs 1,199.75 crore, CJ Malimath highlighted the pressing need for enhanced facilities. He outlined plans for the expansion of judges’ strength in the MP High Court to 121, including 60 in Jabalpur’s principal seat and 30 each in the Indore and Gwalior circuit benches.
“Litigants Need Before Our Own”
“We must put the needs of litigants before our own. I urge each one of you to put yourself in the shoes of a litigant, who has been waiting for decades to get justice. The plight of such litigants is unimaginable. It is only when we think from the litigant’s perspective that we can rise above trivialities,” the chief justice stated.
“It is only when you rise above daily trifles that we can bring out the real change in the justice delivery system. A majority of us from the bar and the bench have been collectively doing it here in MP,” he added.
Delays in Infrastructure Projects
Reflecting on past delays in infrastructure projects, CJ Malimath cited the Gwalior district court complex, which took 16 years to complete despite an initial estimated completion time of 36 months and a sanctioned budget of ₹19.72 crore. He expressed hope that future construction projects, including those in Jabalpur, Indore, and Gwalior, would not face similar delays, emphasizing their role in facilitating the dispensation of justice.
CJ Malimath outlined the budget allocations for key projects, including the construction of the new MP State Judicial Academy complex (₹485.84 crore) and high court buildings in Indore (₹307.68 crore) and Gwalior (₹406.23 crore).
Other Key Figures Who Attended the Event
The event was attended by Justice S A Dharmadhikari, administrative judge of the Indore bench, Justice Vivek Rusia, administrative judge of the Gwalior bench, Justice Vivek Agarwal, in-charge chairman of the MP State Judicial Academy, Jabalpur, and other judges of the MP High Court.
