Join us for an in-person launch of the ‘Court Design Handbook – Design Guide for User-Centric Court Complexes’ by the JALDI (Justice, Access and Lowering Delays in India) Initiative at Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy. The event will take place in hybrid mode on 29th June 2024 (Saturday) from 10:30 am to 02:30 pm, at Seminar Hall 2 & 3, India International Centre Annexe, New Delhi.

Courts as physical spaces have a deep influence on the justice experience. For ordinary litigants, District Courts can be intimidating and unwelcoming spaces, while lawyers, judges, and staff find them ill-equipped to cater to the everyday needs of a workplace. 

The JALDI initiative at Vidhi has been drawing attention to the issues affecting the status of court infrastructure over the last 5 years. In 2018, we surveyed 665 District Courts to understand the breadth and the extent of shortcomings, thereafter we collaborated with experts from Srishti Manipal Institute, to offer a blueprint for user-friendly Consumer Courts. In order to test the findings of our study in the context of specific jurisdictions, the team further collaborated with experts in the field of spatial design and accessibility to audit the infrastructure in District Courts in two jurisdictions- Meghalaya and Odisha.

Now, we’ve teamed up with inclusive design architects to create a Design Handbook for model District Courts in India. The Handbook envisions a Court Complex that meets the needs of all users, informed by consultations with judges, lawyers, social justice experts, and more.

Join us as we launch this transformative guide. Your presence will make a difference!

Keynote address  (10:30  am to 11:00 am)

• Justice Rajeev Shakdher

Session I:  Courts for 21st Century India – Moving from Rhetoric to Action (11:00 am to 12:15 pm)

• Justice (Retd.)  Badar Durrez Ahmed
• Justice (Retd.) Gita Mittal
• Justice (Retd.) Naveen Rao Ponugoti 
• Mr. Rahul Bajaj

Moderator: Ms. Deepika Kinhal 

Tea (12:15 pm to 12:30 pm)

Session II: Ensuring Universally Accessible Courts for All (12:30 pm to 13:30 pm)

• Prof. Gaurav Raheja 

Moderators: Ms. Shreya Tripathy and Ms. Shreya Shetty

Lunch (13:30 pm onwards)

We would like to extend our invitation to you and your colleagues who may be interested in participating in the event. 

Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need further information regarding the event.

RSVP by June 20, 2024. 

Looking forward to seeing you!