Guwahati: Attending the closing ceremony of Gauhati High Court’s platinum jubilee celebration on 14 April 2023 at Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra in the city, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma revealed in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the State government was planning to construct an integrated judicial complex in Guwahati, which will comprise the GHC along with CJM and sessions courts of Kamrup (metropolitan) and Kamrup district in one campus.
Sarma commented that the judiciary has been playing an important role in the democratic system of India. As the country has celebrated 75 years of its independence, Sarma opined that the judiciary, executive and legislature should march together in the same direction during the Azadi Ka Amrit Kaal. Underlining PM Modi’s call for ‘Ease of Justice’, Sarma stated that the justice delivery system in the north-eastern region should move forward with the aim of ensuring speedy justice to the poor and downtrodden. He expressed hope that the GHC would continue to play an important role in the field of justice delivery system in the coming days.
Established in 1948, GHC served as the common court for seven north-eastern States (namely Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh) until March 2013, when separate high courts for Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura were created. Presently, GHC has jurisdiction over Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh, with its principal seat in Guwahati and three permanent benches in Kohima, Aizawl and Itanagar.
Addressing the distinguished gathering, Modi noted that the aspirations of citizens in the 21st century are unbounded and the judiciary as a pillar of democracy has a strong and sensitive role to play in meeting these aspirations. India’s Constitution also expects to build a strong, vibrant and modern legal system, said Modi adding be it the government or the judiciary, the role of every institution and its constitutional obligation is connected to the ease of living of the common citizens.
He emphasized the need for the government and judiciary to be sensitive towards those who have been incarcerated for petty crimes for years and do not have the resources or the money. Taking note of those, whose families were not ready to accept them after the legal processes had been completed, Modi informed that this year’s central budget has a provision for financial assistance for such prisoners where financial aid will be handed over to the State by the Union government with an aim to help those individuals.
Modi, in presence of Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, Union law & justice minister Kiren Rijiju, Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu, GHC’s chief justice Sandeep Mehta, judges of Supreme Court and GHC, lawyers, judicial officers and other dignitaries, also launched a mobile application Assam Cop. Designed by Assam Police, the app will facilitate accused and vehicle searches from the database of the crime & criminal network tracking system and the vahan national register.
