Union Minister Kiren Rijiju with the delegates from Nagaland in New Delhi on July 10.
Morung Express News
Kohima | July 12
Despite being the second oldest state in India’s northeast, the state of Nagaland is yet to have a separate High Court. In absence of its own high court, it has been operating as a bench in Kohima under the Gauhati High Court for more than four decades since 1972.
While incomplete infrastructure and lack of facilities have long been reasons why a High Court could not be established till date, the state government has however, decided to go ahead with a separate High Court in the old existing complex.
In this regard, newly-appointed Union Minister for Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju told a delegation of advocates from Kohima at his Delhi residence on Saturday that the issue would be taken up with the Prime Minister.
He said that all relevant documents have been received from the state government and the Chief Minister had also called on him in this regard last week.
The Minister also told them that “as far as Nagaland State is concerned, there is no controversy,” President of Kohima Bar Association A Zhou, who was among the delegates, told The Morung Express on Sunday.
While the state government has taken a Cabinet decision and Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has also apprised the former Law and Justice Minister last week in Delhi, the decision of the government was to establish a separate High Court as early as possible at the old complex and continue with the construction logistics in the new Meriema complex, which is likely to take a few years time.
As for functioning to take place at the earliest, the Bar President stated that the delegation has requested the Union Minister to “place the matter before the Parliament during the Monsoon session or before the winter session.”
“The old campus has all the infrastructural requisites and four courtrooms. It is sufficient to go ahead with the separate High Court,” he added. He also said that repair and renovation works are being carried out at the present Kohima Bench and the CM’s bungalow and 3 Minister's bungalows have been allotted to Judges in the Kohima Bench.
While a separate High Court for the state will not only augment robust judiciary, it will be able to elevate the number of Judges from the state and give administrative and financial independence to the state. The same will cater to providing employment opportunities by opening up recruitment for officers and staffs.
Among the North Eastern states, Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh do not have separate High Courts and therefore have Benches under the Gauhati High Court.
According to reports, Mizoram has almost completed it High Court building while Arunachal Pradesh has started construction.
The delegation was accompanied by Minister Temjen Imma Along and also met MP Lok Sabha Tokheho Yepthomi and Gauhati High Court Chief Justice among others.
