CJI Surya Kant suggested removing black robes and uniforms for judges, lawyers, and even police in family courts to create a more child-friendly environment. He emphasized making courts less intimidating and more focused on resolving emotional family disputes.
New Delhi: Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Monday emphasized the urgent need to make family courts more child-friendly and less intimidating, suggesting significant changes to their traditional functioning.
Speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony of a new family court complex in Rohini, the CJI highlighted how the current courtroom environment may create fear, especially in the minds of children who are often the most affected in family disputes.
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He raised an important concern about the conventional dress code followed in courts and its psychological impact on children.
“Should the family courts have these black robes? Is it not going to create a psycho fear in the child or in the mind of a child when we are visualising and conceptualising a new concept for the family courts?”
he questioned.
The CJI suggested that both judges and lawyers should consider avoiding formal court uniforms in family courts to create a more comfortable and less stressful environment.
“I personally feel why shouldn’t we try to develop an idea? It’s only an idea.”
He further added,
“For all of you in family courts, our presiding officer will not sit in court dresses. The members of the bar will not come in black and white robes,”
CJI Kant said.
Expanding on this idea, he also recommended that police personnel should avoid appearing in uniform within family court settings, as their presence in traditional attire could increase anxiety among children.
“And when one wants to resolve the disputes pertaining to them, I think we need to come out with altogether different kinds of ideas,”
the CJI said.
He stressed that family courts should aim to create a friendly and familiar atmosphere where disputes can be resolved with sensitivity. According to him, such courts are not merely legal spaces but platforms meant to rebuild relationships and address emotional issues. He also suggested a rethinking of the very concept of family courts.
“Not everyone wants to come to the court. When we talk of reforms and when we talk of the concept of the family court as a platform for resolving disputes, it is not like civil property disputes. It is meant to refurbish, reason, repair the human relationship. Can’t we call them family resolution centres?”
the CJI said.
Highlighting the importance of judicial infrastructure, he noted that Rohini has grown into a major residential area and deserves better court facilities to meet increasing needs. He explained that disputes in family courts are very different from other types of litigation.
“They arise within the families, individuals that were at some point companions in a shared life, they may continue to share mutual responsibilities as parents, caregivers or members of the same household. Therefore, the dispute before the family court carries huge emotional, social and financial consequences that extend far beyond the immediate legal controversy,”
he said.
Justice Manmohan of the Supreme Court also spoke at the event and pointed out the challenges faced by the district judiciary in Delhi.
“In Delhi, the perpetual challenges which the district judiciary face are threefold. One is budget, the other is staff and the third is space, and space means courtrooms as well as residential accommodation.”
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The event was also attended by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Delhi High Court Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya, who addressed the gathering and highlighted the importance of strengthening judicial infrastructure in the capital.
The suggestions made by the Chief Justice reflect a progressive approach towards reforming family courts in India, focusing on reducing fear, protecting children, and promoting a more humane and supportive dispute resolution system.
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