The Supreme Court Judge Justice Surya Kant recently inaugurated five regional judicial academies in Odisha.
The Angul, Balasore, Sambalpur, Ganjam at Berhampur, and Koraput at Jeypore academies were inaugurated in the presence of Orissa High Court Chief Justice (CJ) S Muralidhar and other Orissa High Court judges.
During his welcome address, Justice Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi stated that the Odisha Judicial Academy had conducted approximately 300 training programs in the previous five years alone, and expressed hope that the newly established academies would be immensely beneficial for judicial officers, court staff, lawyers, clerks, and other stakeholders across the state.
Chief Justice Muralidhar expressed gratitude for the High Court judges’ and district judges’ coordinated and concerted efforts that resulted in the establishment of the five Regional Academies. He also expressed gratitude to the state government for informing and supporting these academies.
According to the Chief Justice, the academies’ locations were carefully chosen to form clusters that would benefit neighboring districts. He highlighted the High Court’s recent Information and Communication Technology (ICT) initiatives and stated that many more were in the works. However, providing hands-on training to judicial officers, court staff, lawyers, and their clerks would be necessary for effective implementation of these technologies.
Furthermore, Justice Surya Kant praised the Regional Judicial Academies of Odisha and suggested that they serve as an example for the entire nation.
He emphasized the importance of the district judiciary in providing justice to the general public and expressed hope that the academies will effectively assist the district judiciary in its operations.
He further highlighted the importance of mediation as an effective tool in the alternative dispute resolution system and suggested that judicial officers attend Regional Judicial Academies to receive training in mediation exercises and legal aid activities.
