India, March 2 -- Clean and accessible washrooms in court complexes are not peripheral amenities but foundational requirements of a functional justice system, the Delhi high court has said, observing that the condition of such facilities directly affects the dignity, health and equality of citizens.

In an order dated February 25 and released on February 28, a single-judge bench of justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav said court complexes are not merely physical structures but constitutional spaces where citizens seek justice and where judicial officers, advocates and staff discharge public functions. Therefore, the infrastructure of such institutions must meet minimum standards aligned with constitutional values.

"The state of washrooms in...