The new complex will have 75 courtrooms. There will be special lifts just for judges, with one lift serving two judges. Judges will enter from the front, the public will enter from the back, and lawyers can use the entrance that is more convenient for them.
The Maharashtra Cabinet has given the green light to spend Rs. 3,750 crore on building a new Bombay High Court complex on 30 acres of land in Bandra East. The aim is to reduce crowding at the current court and provide modern facilities. The design, created by architect Hafeez Contractor, was picked through a competition by the High Court’s steering committee. The new complex will have 75 courtrooms, judges’ chambers, staff offices, and even homes for judges. It will also feature an arbitration and mediation centre, a library, an auditorium, and large parking areas.
Most of the building will follow a classical and neo-classical style, spread across 26 acres, with the remaining 4 acres reserved for judges’ residences. The total built-up area will be about 60 lakh square feet which is roughly equal to six Oval Maidans.
There will be special lifts just for judges, with one lift serving two judges. Judges will enter from the front, the public will enter from the back, and lawyers can use the entrance that is more convenient for them. To keep maintenance costs low, the building will be made of white cement concrete, which won’t need repainting—only occasional cleaning.
“The High Court is one of Mumbai’s most important institutions, so we wanted its new complex to stand out from the buildings around it. If you notice, most of the city’s landmark structures follow classical or neo-classical styles, and that’s why we chose this design,” said architect Hafeez Contractor, as quoted by TOI.
The new High Court complex will be built between the Kalanagar and Kherwadi flyovers, covering a stretch of about 450 metres.
Officials have called it a major infrastructure project and promised that it will be completed on time. This modern complex will eventually replace the old Gothic-style Bombay High Court building, which has been in use since 1878.
The current heritage High Court building was built to seat only 15 judges. But today, it has to handle 94 judges with just 29 courtrooms.
For years, lawyers and litigants have complained about the overcrowded hallways, small courtrooms, and lack of storage space. All of this has made it difficult for the court to function smoothly.
