High Courts must grow like a modern hospital designs its emergency services: Justice Surya Kant

Supreme Court judge, Justice Surya Kant has called upon High Courts to envision their institutional growth much like a modern hospital which designs its emergency services—with structures that are equipped to respond swiftly, decisively, and with precision at the very moment a crisis arises.

"In the same way that an emergency ward cannot afford delay, our Courts too must aspire to that level of preparedness, efficiency, and coordinated response. This means strengthening technological capacity, streamlining procedures, building specialised expertise, and ensuring that judicial processes can adapt instantly to emerging situations. Only with such foresight can the Judiciary continue to deliver timely and effective remedies, rising to every challenge with the speed and clarity that a constitutional democracy demands. These are not mere administrative ideas; they are the next step in the evolution of access to justice", Justice Kant has said while speaking at the Silver Jubilee Celebration of the High Court of Jharkhand.

Justice Kant also spoke on the importance of High Courts and the constitutional commitment to rule of law, democracy, and fundamental rights. He has said the High Courts form the backbone of justice and shape the daily experience of constitutional ideals for millions.

"The existence of High Courts, mandated by Article 214, is not merely an extra rung on the ladder to the Supreme Court. Their deeper significance lies in Article 226, which grants them the authority not only to enforce Fundamental Rights—as the Supreme Court does under Article 32—but also to protect legal rights of every kind. The presence of a High Court in every State, whether old or new, therefore, ensures that justice is truly local, immediate, and within reach", the judge has said.

He highlighted how broad jurisdictional powers and proximity to the people, makes High Courts vital engines for legal development and social reform. "...since each High Court evolves in conversation with its region’s distinct culture and challenges, justice acquires a local heartbeat. When law intertwines with the lived realities of the people, it ceases to be abstract—it becomes human, inclusive, and transformative. Here lies the irreplaceable strength of the High Courts within our federal democracy.", the judge said.

The Supreme Court judge also noted the Jharkhand High Court's journey from its formative years—when its foundations were still taking shape, its laws evolving, and its responsibilities immense— saying that the Court treated each challenge as an opportunity to further the ethos of the Constitution. "The Court’s consistent investment in e-filing, real-time case tracking, searchable databases, and dashboards for visually-challenged persons has transformed the experience of litigation, allowing every citizen, regardless of geography or ability, to approach the Court with confidence and dignity", he added.

The CJI to be said the story of the Jharkhand High Court is still being written and the Justice Delivery System must prepare itself not just for tomorrow’s challenges, but for the needs of the next forty years.

Shri. Arjun Ram Meghwal, Hon’ble Minister of State, Ministry of Law and Justice (Independent Charge), Government of India also graced the celebrations.