The Bombay High Court on Monday asked the Maharashtra government to set up child-friendly courtrooms in all the judicial premises across the state on a “priority basis”. A bench of Chief Justice Naresh Patil and M S Karnik directed the state government to ensure that its pilot project to set up three model courtrooms in the city which are child-friendly and also cater to vulnerable witnesses is implemented without further delay.

The directions came after Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni, who was representing the state, told the bench that while the government had allocated Rs 23 lakh for setting up three such courtrooms in the city, the project had faced some delay in the past months over budget allocations. “However, now the money has been allocated. There is a meeting later in the day between architects and officials of the Public Works Department following which the design for such courtrooms will be finalised,” he said.

The Supreme Court had in February this year sometime back asked all high courts to consider, among other things, establishing such courts and vulnerable witness courts in each district. The SC had passed a slew of directions for the chief justices of all HCs across the country related to a clutch of laws.

At today’s hearing, the bench said government must ensure that the pilot project was completed at the earliest so that subsequently, the same model could be extended to all court premises across the state. These court rooms are an essential requirement under several laws, including the Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act, to ensure that children or vulnerable witnesses deposing in a court room do not feel any fear or apprehension.

—India Legal Bureau