The tent is a Vadodara court

VADODARA: From the outside, the Nyaya Mandir — which houses the Vadodara sessions court — has a sense of old world grandeur. The Indo-Saracenic architecture seems to represent the lofty ideals of justice.
But this is only from the outside. From the inside, the building is so small that Vadodara has become the only place where judges dispense justice out of makeshift tents erected next to stinking toilets.The judges, advocates and litigants have complained about the cramped space and the ageing building to the state legal department on more than one occasion.
Apparently the legal department, faced with paucity of funds, suggested to the Baroda Bar Association that erecting tents could be a temporary solution. In the process, the Darbar Hall of the building today resembles a makeshift hospital ward set up for a blood donation camp. There are six courts, all functioning in tents, two of which are allotted to joint district judges.
The Nyaya Mandir building was constructed by Maharaja Sir Sayajirao Gaekwad nearly 100 years ago and has been used as a court for long. Since then, the number of judges has gone up. "These makeshift courts cannot accommodate even four lawyers at a time. The accused and litigants have to stand out when the court is in session. The litigants and the accused have the right to be part of the hearing," says lawyer Sailesh Patel. "Everyone concerned had assured the bar association of a new court. But nothing is working out," he adds.
Baroda Bar Association president Narendra Tiwari says: "How can you set up a court besides a toilet? How can you set up a court in a hall where people are constantly moving around? Ideally, one has to maintain silence in the courtroom. It is very difficult for the court to function under such circumstances."
Leading Supreme Court and High Court counsel from Vadodara Kailash Jethmalani says, "It is pitiable to see the present conditions in which judicial officers have to operate. They don’t have space to work, read or function. Also, with such poor infrastructure it becomes tough to preserve records. The authorities should take note of these things."
When asked for his reaction, state law minister Ashok Bhatt washed his hands off the matter, saying a writ petition on the matter was pending in the Gujarat High Court and thus he could not comment.