CJI B.R. Gavai praised the proposal for a Bombay High Court bench in Kolhapur, saying every citizen should get justice “without spending much time and money,” highlighting the need to improve access to justice across Maharashtra.
Chief Justice of India B R Gavai supported the idea of setting up a bench of the Bombay High Court in Kolhapur, Maharashtra. He said this during a felicitation event organised by the Advocates Association of the Bombay High Court in Aurangabad.
He stressed that justice should reach everyone and added,
“Justice must be accessible to every citizen in every corner.”
Currently, the Bombay High Court operates circuit benches in Goa, Aurangabad (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar), and Nagpur, in addition to its main bench in Mumbai.
CJI Gavai mentioned,
“Every time there is a demand for Kolhapur bench of the Bombay High Court, I have supported it and given the example of the Aurangabad bench.”
He noted that the Aurangabad bench now handles more cases than the main Bombay bench.
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He stated,
“It is not financially possible for everyone to come to Bombay (Mumbai) for each and every hearing. Every citizen in every corner should get justice without having to spend much time and money.”
CJI Gavai also highlighted that the Supreme Court collegium focuses on selecting judges based on merit.
He remarked,
“At the collegium, we have always strived to make selection as per merit. We never wondered about the candidate’s caste, religion or class; we only looked at their ability and if they deserved the post,”
He asserted that the Supreme Court should function as the court for all judges, not just for the Chief Justice of India, and emphasized the need for unanimous decision-making.
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He added that judges cannot operate in isolation, stating that being a judge requires commitment beyond standard working hours, as it is a service to the nation and often a challenging role.
CJI Gavai shared a personal anecdote, recalling a health scare he experienced in 2006 while playing tennis with other judges, “During the last ball I fell sick, and was rushed to the hospital.”