CJI Chandrachud to lay foundation stone of new HC complex in Mumbai on Monday

MUMBAI: Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud will lay the foundation stone of the Bombay High Court's new complex in Mumbai's Bandra East on Monday, an official said. A Maharashtra government release on Sunday said possession of 30.16 acre of land will be handed over the High Court in a phased manner, adding the first tranche measuring 4.39 acres has already been given.

It will have world class infrastructure, including well-designed and spacious court rooms, chambers for judges and registry personnel, an arbitration and mediation centre, an auditorium, library, as well as a host of features and amenities for staff, lawyers and litigants, the release informed. The plan is to enable stakeholders to have access to support services such as banking and telecom, medical facilities, digitisation centre, creche, cafeteria, waiting areas, multi-storey car park, museum and lawyers' chambers, with the design keeping in mind accessibility features for differently-abled stakeholders, the release added.

The land on which the new premises will come up is well located, with proximity to the island city as well as the metropolis' suburbs, the arterial Western Express Highway and the Bandra Kurla Complex, among the country's leading commercial hubs. The Bombay High Court, founded on August 16, 1862, is currently located in a majestic building near Flora Fountain (Hutatma Chowk) that the court has occupied since November 1878, the state government release added. The Bombay High Court exercises jurisdiction over Maharashtra through the Principal Seat in Mumbai and benches at Nagpur and Aurangabad as well as Goa. It also exercises jurisdiction over the Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. The High Court has a sanctioned strength of 94 judges, while the current strength being 66 sitting judges, the release said.