Gurugram High Court Circuit Bench Demand Raised in Rajya Sabha

GURUGRAM: The demand for a circuit bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in Gurugram has reached Parliament, with Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Bhatia calling for a feasibility study and consultation among the Centre, Haryana government and the High Court. The proposal remains a demand; no circuit bench has yet been approved.

Bhatia raised the issue during Zero Hour, arguing that litigants, lawyers, companies and public institutions across south Haryana must currently travel to Chandigarh for High Court proceedings. The distance adds travel, legal and opportunity costs for people from Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh, Palwal, Rewari and Mahendragarh.

The case for Gurugram is also being framed around the region’s economic profile. The city hosts a large concentration of technology, finance, manufacturing, startups and corporate offices. Its courts and tribunals handle disputes involving employment, land, tax, arbitration, insolvency and government action, many of which may ultimately require High Court intervention.

Supporters of the proposal point to the newly inaugurated Tower of Justice in Gurugram, which has modern courtrooms, digital facilities and e-court infrastructure. They argue that the complex could provide a practical base for periodic High Court sittings, subject to legal, administrative and security approvals.

Establishing a circuit bench is not a decision Parliament can implement through a speech alone. It would require institutional consultation, assessment of case volume, judicial staffing, jurisdiction, facilities and the views of the High Court. The financial and administrative model would also need agreement before any notification.

A feasibility study should examine how many south Haryana cases reach the High Court, the average travel burden and whether physical sittings would complement or duplicate virtual hearing facilities. It should also consider advocates and litigants from smaller districts, not limit the analysis to Gurugram’s corporate sector.

Digital courts have reduced some journeys, but they have not eliminated the need for in-person hearings, filing support and access to legal records. A circuit bench could bring constitutional and appellate justice closer to the region, provided it is designed to improve access rather than create another layer of procedural uncertainty.

The parliamentary intervention gives the proposal political visibility, but the next steps must be formal and evidence-led. Residents should treat it as the beginning of a consultation, not an announcement of a new bench. A clear government response and High Court-led assessment will determine whether the idea moves from advocacy to an implementable judicial plan. Any study should publish its criteria so the decision can be evaluated on access to justice rather than political symbolism.