The Maharashtra government assured the Supreme Court it will deliver an additional 5.25 acres for the new Bombay High Court by January 31, 2025, following the handover of 4.39 acres. Advocate General Birendra Saraf highlighted the clearing of encroachments and efforts to appoint a project consultant, with the next hearing scheduled for April 2025.
Mumbai: The Maharashtra government assured the Supreme Court on Thursday (Jan 16th) that it will hand over the next tranche of 5.25 acres of land by January 31, 2025, for the construction of the new Bombay High Court complex in Bandra, Mumbai. Advocate General Birendra Saraf informed a bench led by Justice B R Gavai that while 4.39 acres of land had been handed over in October 2024, the second tranche, initially scheduled for December 31, 2024, would be delivered by the new deadline.
Saraf emphasized that all encroachments on the land have been cleared and assured the bench, which also included Justices Augustine George Masih and K Vinod Chandran, of the government’s active steps toward facilitating the construction process.
“We are seeking time till January 31, and this land, which was due to be handed over by December 31, will be handed over,”
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Saraf said.
The advocate general also highlighted that steps have been taken to appoint a project management consultant and that the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court would chair a meeting to review the progress later that evening.
The bench commended the state government for its proactive approach:
“We appreciate the proactive role played by the state in ensuring that the construction of the building starts at the earliest.”
It noted the groundbreaking ceremony for the new high court complex, which took place on September 23, 2024, and observed the state’s phased plan to deliver 30.16 acres of land for the project.
The Bombay High Court, founded in 1862, currently operates out of its iconic heritage building near Flora Fountain (Hutatma Chowk), which it has occupied since 1878. However, concerns over safety and space limitations prompted the proposal for a modern complex in Bandra.
The new facility promises spacious courtrooms, judges’ chambers, an arbitration and mediation center, an auditorium, a library, and various amenities for staff, lawyers, and litigants.
The bench also addressed the proposal to shift the high court’s mediation center to the Air India building in South Mumbai. The court remarked:
“This is not an adversarial litigation. Everybody can sit together and sort the things out.”
The matter stems from a suo motu case titled ‘Heritage Building of the Bombay High Court and Allotment of Additional Lands for the High Court’, initiated after a letter petition from the Bombay Bar Association.
The Supreme Court has scheduled the next hearing for April 2025 to assess further progress on this critical project, which marks a significant step in modernizing India’s judicial infrastructure.
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