India, Aug. 16 -- Justice is a right. But what happens when getting justice itself becomes difficult? For an ordinary person from West Bengal, travelling to Delhi for a Supreme Court case can be costly and time-consuming, especially when repeated hearings add to the financial burden. A regional Supreme Court bench in Kolkata deserves serious consideration to improve access to the country's highest court for people across eastern and northeastern India plus people from Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha. A litigant may already have spent years fighting a case. Repeated travel to Delhi adds financial and personal hardship through travel costs, lost working days, family responsibilities and uncertainty over how long the case may continue. Justice must be accessible to everyone. But accessibility is not merely the legal right to approach a court; it is also about whether a person can realistically reach it and pursue a case. This is where Kolkata can play an important role. A major centre of eastern India, the city has a long administrative, commercial, cultural and legal history. The Calcutta High Court is among the country's oldest, while Kolkata has deep links with eastern and northeastern India.
If India considers a regional Supreme Court bench for the eastern region, Kolkata would be a natural choice. There is also constitutional scope for it. Article 130 provides that while the Supreme Court sits in Delhi, the Chief Justice of India, with the President's approval, may designate other places for it to sit. The Constitution itself allows for the Supreme Court to sit outside Delhi, subject to the proper constitutional and institutional process. The idea, therefore, is not without constitutional basis and also has a history behind it. In its 229th Report in 2009, the Law Commission recommended decentralising the Supreme Court's judicial work. It proposed retaining a Constitution Bench in Delhi and setting up four regional Cassation Benches, with Kolkata serving the eastern region, covering West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, Assam, Sikkim, the other northeastern states and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The idea, therefore, has been formally considered before.
The proposal was not implemented after the Supreme Court's Full Court rejected it in 2010. But much has changed since then. India's population and caseload have grown, connectivity has improved, and digital hearings and video conferencing have transformed court functioning. In this changed environment, the proposal deserves another look. A regional bench would primarily benefit litigants and the legal system, but its impact could extend beyond the courtroom, bringing lawyers, litigants, court officials, journalists, researchers and others to Kolkata. This would create greater demand for hotels, restaurants, taxis, car rentals, office spaces, legal services, books and other businesses, generating direct and indirect employment and strengthening Kolkata as a legal and professional services centre. Tourism could also benefit. Visitors staying for court cases may explore the Victoria Memorial, Indian Museum, Jorasanko, Kumartuli, Dakshineswar or Belur Math
A Supreme Court bench alone will not transform Kolkata's economy or tourism, but such an important national institution could certainly generate additional economic activity. One point must be made clearly: the demand for a regional bench in Kolkata should not be seen as "Kolkata versus Delhi." Delhi would remain the principal seat of the Supreme Court. The question is whether the country's highest court can also become more accessible to people living thousands of kilometres away. The objective should be simple: a person's ability to pursue justice should not depend so heavily on where he or she lives or how much money is available for travel to Delhi. For people in eastern and northeastern India, a regional bench in Kolkata could significantly reduce the burden of distance and expense. At the same time, Kolkata could benefit as a centre for law, professional services, employment and related economic activity.
Most importantly, the issue deserves serious discussion within the constitutional framework. Article 130 already allows the Supreme Court to sit at places other than Delhi, subject to the prescribed process. The question is whether the time has come to revisit the idea. This should not be driven by regional sentiment or political rivalry, but by a simple question: How can we make justice more accessible to ordinary citizens? If justice is a fundamental right, access to it should not become a privilege limited to those who can afford to travel across the country. A regional bench of the Supreme Court in Kolkata could bring the highest court closer to millions across eastern and northeastern India. This is not merely a demand for Bengal, but for easier, more affordable and accessible justice. A Regional Bench of the Supreme Court in Kolkata is not just a demand. It is, perhaps, the need of the hour.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.