Yesterday, On 29th September, Justice BR Gavai expressed support for creating a bench of the Bombay High Court in Kolhapur while speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony of an Advocate Academy and Research Centre in Maharashtra. He emphasized the need for better access to justice for people in the region, highlighting how the new bench could ease legal processes and reduce travel burdens.
Mumbai: Supreme Court Justice BR Gavai on Saturday expressed his support for the creation of a new Kolhapur Bench of the Bombay High Court, stressing that it would improve access to justice for residents of remote areas.
Justice Gavai, whose parent High Court is the Bombay High Court, emphasized that adding another Bench would not undermine the court’s prestige. Currently, the Bombay High Court operates Benches in Goa, Nagpur, and Aurangabad.
He made these remarks during the groundbreaking ceremony for the Advocate Academy and Research Centre in Taloja, Maharashtra. The facility, being developed by the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa, will be the first of its kind in India. It aims to provide young advocates with comprehensive training and promote legal awareness among legal professionals as well as the general public.
Justice Gavai also participated in the Bhoomi Poojan ceremony for this proposed academy, which is expected to significantly enhance the skills and knowledge of budding legal practitioners.
In his address, Justice BR Gavai emphasized the enduring economic disparities in India and highlighted the pivotal role of lawyers in bridging this divide.
Back in August, he remarked that,
“The entire wealth of the country is concentrated in the hands of a few, while a vast majority cannot afford two square meals a day.”
On Saturday, he reiterated this concern, stressing that lawyers have a critical role as “social engineers” in addressing these pressing inequalities.
Justice Gavai questioned,
“Through the principle of one person, one vote, one value, we have sought to achieve political justice and equality. But what about economic and social equality? What about social and economic justice? We live in a society where the entire wealth is concentrated in a few hands, while the vast majority struggles to make ends meet. Socially, our society is divided into compartments, and movement between these compartments is nearly impossible. A lawyer is a social engineer, and the Constitution is the instrument to achieve a just social and economic relationship.”
Justice Gavai also expressed optimism that the proposed academy would set an example for similar efforts across the country, equipping future lawyers with the skills and knowledge to drive meaningful social change.
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The upcoming Advocates Academy will be situated on an 8,000 square meter plot, featuring a 250,000 square foot facility. This building will house administrative and academic offices, a research center, two auditoriums, and six classrooms. Additionally, it will offer residential accommodations for up to 600 advocates.
The event attended by several prominent figures, including Supreme Court Justice Prasanna B Varale, Bombay High Court Justices AS Gadkari, Sarang Kotwal, and Manish Pitale, as well as Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister and Law Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, and Advocate General Birendra Saraf.
The Bhoomi Poojan ceremony for this academy follows closely after the ground-breaking ceremony for the new Bombay High Court building in Bandra.