*Inspects new Court Complex
Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Apr 13: Justice Wasim Sadiq Nargal, Judge, High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh and Administrative Judge for district Bandipora today paid an official visit to Bandipora and conducted an inspection of the existing Court Complex, newly constructed District Court Complex at Kaloosa and held back-to-back meetings with Judicial Officers, district administration, executing agency and Bar Association.
Upon his arrival at the existing Court Complex, formal reception was accorded by Jeema Bashir, Principal District & Sessions Judge, Bandipora; Mir Wajahat, Additional District & Sessions Judge (Designated Special Court under the NIA Act), Iqbal Akhoon, Chief Judicial Magistrate, Bandipora; Amandeep Singh, Munsiff, Bandipora; Indu Kanwal Chib, Deputy Commissioner, Ajaz Ahmad Zargar, Senior Superintendent of Police, and Sofi Feroz Ahmad, President, Bar Association, besides other Judicial Officers, members of the Bar and officers of the civil and police administration of the district.
Justice Nargal conducted a thorough administrative inspection of the existing Court Complex taking direct note of the present state of infrastructure, record management and working conditions at the existing premises.
He engaged with the Judicial Officers and staff present at their respective stations, ensuring that the ground reality of the complex was fully and accurately assessed. Upon conclusion of the inspection of the existing Court Complex, Justice Nargal proceeded to the new District Court Complex at Kaloosa.
Indu Kanwal Chib, Deputy Commissioner delivered the welcome address and acknowledged the significance of the new Court Complex as a meaningful step toward improved justice delivery. She assured the full and continued cooperation of the district administration in facilitating the effective functioning of the courts.
Sofi Feroz Ahmad, President, Bar Association, Bandipora placed before Justice Nargal the infrastructural requirements of the new complex, including the provision of basic amenities for litigants and members of the Bar, the need for full-time functioning of courts and the long-standing demand for the establishment of a Consumer Court in the district.
On the occasion, Justice Nargal delivered an address of exceptional institutional depth, centering upon the foundational role of the district judiciary in the constitutional architecture of justice delivery in this country. He observed that the district judiciary is not the bottom of the judicial hierarchy — it is its foundation, and that if the pulse of justice is strong at the district level, the heart of the Constitution beats healthy for every citizen, while no degree of excellence at higher levels can compensate for a weakened foundation below.
He noted that despite inauguration, the new Complex had not yet been made fully operational, and that considerable time had elapsed since the inauguration without the courts being shifted to the new premises. He directed that the process of shifting be completed within a period of one week.
He further emphasised the importance of adopting technology as an integral component of modern justice delivery noting that video conferencing, digital records, e-filing, virtual hearings and online cause lists have the capacity to reduce delay and improve efficiency materially. In a region such as Jammu and Kashmir where geographical challenges exist, technology must function as a bridge between the citizen and the court so that distance does not become a barrier to justice, he added.
Later, Justice Nargal undertook a thorough inspection of the new District Court Complex, assessing the state of readiness of the premises for full operational use. He also met jointly with the Judicial Officers of the district, the district administration and the executing agency to take stock of the coordination gaps and infrastructure obligations that had accumulated, and to issue directions.
He also met with Sofi Feroz Ahmad, President, Bar Association, Bandipora, and members of the Bar, engaging directly with the requirements of the legal fraternity and recording the commitments made in response to each of the Bar’s representations. He also with the Judicial Officers of the district separately wherein every concern raised was heard and every issue of substance was engaged with directly.
The programme concluded with a vote of thanks presented by Jeema Bashir, Principal District & Sessions Judge, Bandipora.
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