Patna: The judicial architecture of Bihar took a significant step forward on Saturday as Surya Kant, the Chief Justice of India, laid foundation stones for a series of major infrastructure projects within the Patna High Court complex.
The projects include an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) centre, an information technology block, a multi-level parking facility, a hospital building, an auditorium, residential quarters for judicial officers, and an annexe for the Advocate General’s office. Together, the additions are intended to modernise court operations, reduce logistical bottlenecks and improve access to justice for litigants.
Addressing judges, lawyers and court officials, Justice Kant underlined the urgency of expanding judicial capacity to keep pace with demographic growth and increasingly complex disputes. Infrastructure, he said, is not merely about buildings but about creating a justice system resilient enough to evolve with society’s needs.
The ADR centre is expected to encourage quicker, amicable settlements and ease the pressure on courtrooms, while the IT building will bolster digital systems and e-courts initiatives. Facilities such as the hospital and parking complex are designed to address long-standing practical challenges faced by judges, advocates and court staff.
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Justice Kant also reflected on Bihar’s civilisational legacy, describing the state as a land where nyaya—justice—has long been understood as a moral and social principle shaped by empathy and shared responsibility. A just legal system, he said, must consciously bend towards communities that need it most.
In a pointed message to younger members of the Bar, the Chief Justice cautioned against a work culture that leaves no room for balance. Intensity, he noted, may be necessary early in a legal career, but should not come at the cost of empathy and sound judgment—the very qualities justice depends on.
The ceremony was attended by Supreme Court judges Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Rajesh Bindal, along with senior judges of the Patna High Court, advocates and administrative officials. Acting Chief Justice Sudhir Singh was present, while the newly appointed Chief Justice of the Patna High Court, Justice Sangam Kumar Sahoo, joined the event virtually, signalling continuity in the institution’s leadership.
With construction now set to begin, the expansion marks a bid to align Bihar’s oldest court with the demands of a modern judiciary—one that is efficient, accessible and anchored in the human values it seeks to uphold.
