Chief Justice of India Surya Kant proposed renaming family courts as Family Resolution Centres, stating the term “court” can be intimidating and emphasizing a reformative approach focused on resolving disputes, rebuilding relationships, and making justice more accessible and less adversarial.
NEW DELHI: Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant recently suggested renaming family courts to “Family Resolution Centres,” reasoning that the term “court” can often be intimidating. This proposal was made during the foundation stone-laying ceremony for a family courts complex in Rohini, held at the Delhi High Court.
CJI Kant expressed,
“I was wondering why, unwittingly, we have named them family courts. The word ‘court’ sometimes, and often, is intimidating. Not everyone wants to come to court. So why not, when we talk of reforms and the concept of family courts not as a platform for resolving civil disputes but as a forum meant to refurbish, rejoin and repair human relationships ask why we should name them courts? Can’t we name them Family Resolution Centres?”
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He also offered a new perspective regarding the appearance of judges in these courts, questioning whether they should wear black robes, which might evoke psychological fear in children.
He said,
“Should these family courts have black robes? Is it not going to create fear in the minds of a child? When we are visualising and conceptualising a new perspective for the family court, why should we not dwell on an idea that in our family courts, judges will not sit in court in court dresses?”
He added,
“This court complex will be ready next year. Delhi has been a leader in every way. I leave it to you to come out with new ideas. Let us work together in that direction.”
The planned family court complex next to Rohini Courts in Sector 14 is expected to be completed by June 23, 2027. The complex will be constructed on a 2,655.40 square metre plot with a total built area of 12,307.62 square metres and will feature 18 courtrooms alongside various additional facilities. It will have a double basement, a ground floor, and eight more floors.
Designed to foster a child-friendly and accessible environment, the complex will include a facilitation centre, mediation and conference rooms, polyclinic facilities, rooms for infant feeding and nursing, and a play area for children. Two basement levels will be designated for parking.
The event also saw attendance from Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, as well as ministers Parvesh Verma and Kapil Mishra, Supreme Court Judge Manmohan, and Delhi High Court Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya, along with other judges and judicial officers from Rohini Courts.
CJI Kant emphasized the urgent need to increase the number of family courts across the nation to ensure the swift and timely resolution of family disputes, as intended by Parliament in the Family Courts Act, 1984.
In her remarks, CM Gupta noted the significant shortage of judicial infrastructure in the capital, stating that developing such facilities would expedite the justice delivery system and help resolve disputes more efficiently.
She remarked,
“Given the kind of pressure that the national capital and the judiciary are currently facing, better infrastructure will help in the disposal of cases and ensure that people receive justice,”
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