New Delhi: Former Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president and senior advocate Vikas Singh has written a letter to Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud raising strong objections to the Supreme Court’s decision to convert the old judges' library into a public museum.
On Thursday morning, the CJI inaugurated the National Judicial Museum and Archive on the premises of the apex court. The function was attended by Supreme Court Judges and many lawyers.
Singh, in the letter on Wednesday, expressed “deep pain and anguish”, and said he was compelled by the recent developments concerning infrastructure and resource allocation at the Supreme Court. The National Judicial Museum and Archive has been made by converting the old judges’ library.
Singh said these decisions have systematically overlooked the requirements of the members of the Bar. “Recently, the Supreme Court decided to convert the Judges Library into a museum, despite the fact that the Judges’ Library is located in a high-security zone, which makes it unsuitable for public access. This decision fails to consider the needs of the Bar, which has grown significantly in numbers over the years,” he said.
Singh said: "Unfortunately, no accessible space has been allocated in recent years for the Bar’s use near the courtrooms of the Supreme Court. Instead, the locations provided are either too far from courtrooms or situated on different floors, which is impractical and inconvenient for practising members of the Bar”, his letter reads.
Singh emphasized that the SCBA has been growing in membership and urgently requires essential facilities to support its work. “In these circumstances, converting the Judges’ Library into a museum denies the members their rightful facilities. It must be emphasised that the Bar is as much a stakeholder in this institution, which serves as a pillar of democracy for the nation and is sustained with public funds, making it the responsibility of the esteemed institution to cater to the needs of all its stakeholders,” the letter said.
Singh said the Bar urgently requires more collaborative meeting spaces where lawyers can discuss cases with their colleagues, particularly for complex cases that require team collaboration.
Singh, in the letter, said: “I respectfully urge the Supreme Court to reconsider recent decisions in light of Bar’s growing needs”.
