Staff Reporter
Guwahati: The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued directions to all high courts and tribunal courts regarding clean and hygienic toilet facilities in the court premises.
The judgement was issued in a PIL filed by Assam advocate Rajeeb Kalita in the Supreme Court in 2023. The PIL was filed to ensure that basic toilet facilities are made available in high courts and tribunals for advocates, litigants, and court staff, including transgender people.
Delivering the judgement in the PIL today, Justices JB Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan issued a set of directions while disposing of the case.
The SC bench observed that the conditions prevailing in most courts are poor, with old toilets in unusable condition, insufficient water supply, unlocked doors, broken taps, etc. Due to insufficient funds, the toilets are not properly maintained. District courts are in the worst and the most deplorable conditions and are failing to meet even basic hygiene standards.
“In our opinion, toilets, washrooms, and restrooms are not merely a matter of convenience but a basic necessity, which is a facet of human rights. Therefore, all high courts must take swift and effective action to address this issue,” the bench noted.
Some of the directions issued by the SC are: (i) High courts and the state governments shall ensure the construction and availability of separate toilet facilities for males, females, PwDs and transgender persons in all court premises and tribunals; (ii) For the aforesaid purpose, a committee shall be constituted in each of the high courts, under the chairmanship of judge nominated by the chief justice and the members comprising the registrar general of the high court, chief secretary, the PWD secretary, and the Finance secretary of the state, representatives of the bar association, and any other officers as deemed fit, within a period of six weeks; (iii) Provide alternate facilities like mobile toilet during construction of the new ones, bio-toilets across the courts as done in Railways; (iv) Effectuate a mandatory cleaning schedule and ensure staffing for maintenance and upkeeping dry bathroom floors , along with sanitising users on clean washroom practise; (v) Frame a complaint/redressal system for speedy reporting of defective washrooms and instant repair of the same; and (vi) The state government shall allocate sufficient funds for the construction, maintenance and cleanliness of the toilet facilities within the court premises, which shall be periodically reviewed in consultation with the committee constituted by the high courts, and (vii) A status report shall be filed by all state governments within a period of four months.
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