We ourselves as advocates are drained by the long process of waiting for our cases to be called. But imagine the children, who come to the Family Courts and even the POCSO Courts, waiting at the mediation centres or for cases for hours without food or water. Toilets are also at extreme ends of the Complex, which is difficult for the children to navigate. There are only a few toys for select age groups, and no facilities for older children to engage themselves while at the court.”

In Episode 3 of JALDI’s new video series, “Designing Justice”, Meghana Muddurangappa, an advocate who has practised before the Supreme Court and the Karnataka High Court and is an Associate with the Dhwani Legal Trust, discusses her experience in trying to make litigants, especially first-time visitors, feel safe and comfortable with the justice system; what we must do to ensure that courts are inclusive for vulnerable persons, including children; and why the physical space of courts must be improved in addition to digital transformation in the near future.