By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: In what could be termed as a red-letter day for the State, Chief Justice of Inida (CJI) Altamas Kabir inaugurated the Meghalaya High Court, the first full-fledged court of the State, here on Monday.
The Meghalaya High Court is the first of the three new high courts to be set up in the northeast. The other two would be set up in Manipur and Tripura respectively.
In his inaugural address, Justice Kabir said that setting up of the high court here would go a long way in fulfilling the aspirations of the people and the same was an overdue pledge of the Constitution which advocated a high court for each state.
“I have no doubt that the Meghalaya High Court will become a shining example of the independence of judiciary as well as the quality of justice to be rendered in the years to come,” he said.
Kabir recalled that several visits to the region made him realise that ‘people here wanted to know what the legal system in the mainland was and why things cannot be integrated in such a way that everybody becomes a part of this country.’
It may be mentioned that Justice TMeena Kumari was sworn in as the first Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court on Saturday last.
Earlier, Union minister for Law and Justice Ashwani Kumar said that the high court here will bring justice to the doorsteps of the people and will ensure a credible and expeditious justice according to the traditions, local customs and realities of the area.
Kumar said the occasion was “historic because since 1972 when Meghalaya (and Manipur besides Tripura) was created, there was a persistent demand of the
people to have their own high courts.”
He was also of the view that hat an able bar and an independent judiciary will together help deliver efficient justice as promised in the Constitution.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma said the inauguration of the Meghalaya High Court was a fructification of the dreams of the people of the State and hoped that the establishment of the high court would result in quick disposal of the pending cases.
The amendment of the North East Re Organisation Act, 1971 paved the way for setting up of the High Court of Meghalaya along with Manipur and Tripura High Court.