The Mumbai High Court is about to move to a new location in Bandra. An affidavit filed by the Superintending Engineer, Public Works Department, reads as follows:
The government has accorded in principle, approval for inclusion of provision of the new High Court complex by earmarking enough land to construct 25.93 lakh sq. ft. of built up area in the proposed redevelopement of Government Colony at Bandra.
It was placed before the bench of Justices Abhay Oka and AA Sayed, reported Bar and Bench.
The current Mumbai High Court building is a 135-year-old heritage site. This was an argument put forward by those protesting the move. The bench responded to the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) and said:
The heritage status issue is irrelevant, courts of law are established for litigants. Our primary concern is for them, their interest has to be given primacy over inconvenience of judges and lawyers.
Oka J had asked the state to file an affidavit regarding the Court’s move to Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC). The affidavit affirms the master plan for the building should be finalised by 31 December 2016.
State government will have to take into consideration the future requirement for the next 75 to 100 years. Also the requirements of the Bar Association will have to be taken into account. Financial constraint is no ground for delay in infrastructure facilities.Oka J
The next hearing for the shift is scheduled for 10 January 2017.
(With inputs from Bar and Bench.)