"What should Courts look like?" Vidhi, Srishti Institute of Design, bring out report on "Re-imagining Consumer Forums"

Whether it be because of resource constraint or otherwise, the harmonisation of a court’s purpose or function with its design is often not prioritised. Concerns have been raised of courts lacking infrastructural facilities - from washrooms to acoustics - or of there being issues with accessibility or of courts and tribunals being housed in makeshift buildings..A recent report brought out by the JALDI Innovation Lab, Vidhi, in collaboration with the Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology, however, may be a good starting point to propel further discussion in this area and explore possible solutions..Court design and architecture is important and it plays a critical role in making courts function more efficiently, the report’s authors underscore. The report is intended to be a first in a series which will experiment with collaborations to reimagine court infrastructure..Using the example of consumer dispute redressal forums in Bengaluru, including the Karnataka State Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, the report brings out that ways in which the physical design of a court (in this case a “special” consumer court) can be re-imagined so that it can better serve to the reasons for its existence..“These forums (consumer forums) have a unique attribute having been established with the prime objective of encouraging litigants to directly represent their cases to receive timely and cost-effective justice. Therefore, these courts should be forthcoming, not just in the judicial process but also in its physical space, to be accommodating and accessible for laypersons who do not have any knowledge of court procedures,” the report explains. .The report visualises how the forum’s design should be from the perspective of various stakeholders - consumers, advocates, judicial and administrative staff, members and president..A field study undertaken to study the consumer court buildings threw up several shortcomings in its infrastructure, corroborating the fact that “no definitive thought has gone into identifying or constructing buildings designated to function as consumer forums.”.Key findings on this count include:The existing consumer forum rooms are not of a suitable size for the daily influx of persons and documentation. The courtrooms that can only fit in around 35- 40 people at once see a hundred cases a day or more. There is no coherence in the arrangement of the forum’s administrative sections. For example, the courtrooms are on the ground floor whereas the filing section is on the fourth floor. Since the filing section is the first point of contact for the litigant, this creates a lack of clarity in navigation.The pending and record rooms do not have enough storage to accommodate files.The path for the movement of the public is very narrow and difficult to navigate, exacerbating the problem of lack of signage for new users unaware of the system that is followed in the court.There is no indication at the entrance that the consumer forum is within the building which also houses other Government offices. There is also no help desk, reception, or a map of the building to guide litigants. Additionally, the cause lists were printed in a manner readable only to seasoned users of the court. None of the notices currently being put out are in Braille.There are very few fire-safety measures and not enough space for efficient evacuation measures.Public access for people with movement restrictions is limited since there are no ramps to enter the building. The existing lift can provide for only one wheelchair without anyone else inside. There are no aids such as audio announcements or accessible washrooms.There is no security guard nor any security devices such as metal detectors and/or baggage scans at the entrance of the building.There is no waiting area or common area with adequate seating facilities and the central courtyard outside the courtrooms is presumably intended as a waiting area for the public.There is no separate accessible toilet for persons with disabilities. They are not well-maintained and therefore not fully functional. There were no dustbins for waste disposal in any of the public areas.The consumer forum is intended to make a deliberate shift away from the hierarchies of traditional court infrastructure. The current amenities and furniture used by people of different positions continue to reinforce the hierarchy of traditional court structures. One of the primary observations that was made was with respect to the unwelcoming state of the premises. This includes poor lighting, ventilation, and poorly maintained hygiene conditions. .Having delineated such specific shortcomings, the report charts out how consumer forums may be re-designed, bearing in mind aesthetics, inclusivity, efficiency and the need to make it adaptable for future changes without disrupting court operations as well as climate-responsive..From courtrooms, members’ chambers, registries and libraries to the washrooms, parking spaces and cafeteria - the report suggests ways in which the location and layout of the forums’ spaces may be designed for the better. Additionally, the report also suggests how technology and information architecture may be incorporated in these spaces depending on their function..To cite an example, as part of the possible layout for courtrooms, the report suggests that the “distinct seating arrangements for lawyers and consumers” should be done away with, in view of the core principle that the forum should be a consumer-friendly space and to encourage self-representation from consumers. All parts of the courtroom must be accessible for all, the report suggests..The report also contains design illustrations of how the forum spaces may be re-designed to better serve the objectives of the consumer law and the litigants..The COVID-19 pandemic has provided an opportunity to reassess how courts function in this country, the report goes on to note, given how the judiciary has been forced to embrace technology to function during the lockdown..“… consumer forums will not be spared from this shift and should utilise the ongoing situation as the right opportunity to transform into what they were originally envisioned to be- a consumer friendly space with informal and accessible processes”, the report’s authors urge..The authors of the report are Vidhi Research Fellows, Reshma Sekhar and Shreya Tripathy, and Pooja Sastry and Preeta Dhar, who are faculty members at the Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design and Technology..[Read Report]