What a visit to the Supreme Court Judges' Library told me about the many possibilities of democratising this institution
It is not merely the remarkable collection of periodicals or archived volumes of Dr. Ambedkar’s argued matters that makes this library special. In the hurried, anxious life-world of the Supreme Court of India, the library sparks the possibility of an institution more democratised, more inclusive
Indira Jaising
Published on: 19 March 2025, 03:48 pm
I think yesterday was a good day. For the first time, I visited the Judges Library of the Supreme Court, nestled in Administrative Block Number One, bang opposite the Court itself.
The library was built in 2019, but due to the pandemic, it became operational only two years ago.
At the entrance stood Lady Justice, bejewelled, her long hair tied back, her eyes wide open. Clasping the scales of justice in one hand, her other hand held the Constitution of India.
Strolling through it, I couldn’t help but notice that it was an amazingly beautiful structure. Built in a circular form enabling movement through the semi circle, the books are arranged at the outer edge of the semicircle. It has four floors and ample space to move around each floor.
I noticed that the journals were not available in digitised form, and barring two, all were available in hard copy only.
I have spent enough decades in this city to know that the feeling of space and light is not something you can take for granted in Delhi - a demure space for the finer things in life like simply reading in peace.
The ground floor houses text books, the first floor the Statutes, rules and regulations and the other two floors archive several legal periodicals from all over the world. In February, when I requested permission for lawyers to use the library, my eyes were really on those periodicals..
Today, the library permits twenty five lawyers to use the facility at a time, to sit in a quiet corner and read anytime between 10:30 AM and 4 PM. My opinion is that the time duration is a bit unfair - lawyers are generally (hopefully) in the Supreme Court during this time, rushing through corridors, preparing for appearances, filing, or catching a bite or a coffee amidst the quick, snappy pace of life in this profession.
In the library, a world seemingly away from that rush, I noticed that the journals were not available in digitised form, and barring two, all were available in hard copy only. Apparently the publications themselves have not gone online and continue to publish exclusively in print .
A digital catalogue at the entrance makes your search easy and painless. One look at the catalogue can tell you what the judges are reading since the stock position shows what has been issued!
