Legacy of knowledge, future of innovation: Inside Supreme Court Judges Library

Established in 1937, the Supreme Court Judges Library has grown into one of the largest law libraries in Asia, housing over 3,80,000 legal documents, rare legal manuscripts, and the cutting-edge tools of modern legal research.

In Short

• Earlier known as Federal Court Library, it is now Supreme Court's key resource
• Supreme Court Judges Library serves as vision for futuristic judiciary
• Statue of Indian Lady Justice without blindfold installed at library's entrance

Nestled within the heart of India's highest judicial institution, the Supreme Court Judges Library is more than just a repository of legal texts. It is a living reflection of India’s legal legacy, a guardian of the nation’s judicial history and a trailblazer in the digital age.

Established in 1937 as the Federal Court Library, it has grown into one of the largest law libraries in Asia, housing over 3,80,000 legal documents, thousands of law reports, rare legal manuscripts, and the cutting-edge tools of modern legal research.

But what truly makes this library remarkable is the vision that drives it forward. Under the leadership of Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, the library is not only a space where tradition and modernity unite, but a key pillar in the judiciary’s transition into the digital era.

ORIGINS: A LIBRARY WITH HISTORIC ROOTS

The library's roots trace back to a time when India was navigating its path toward independence. Initially serving as the Federal Court, it became an essential resource for the Supreme Court following India's independence in 1947.

Over the years, it has accumulated a vast collection that is indispensable for judges and legal practitioners alike. The library is not merely a storage facility, but an intellectual hub that supports the judiciary's quest for justice.

The Supreme Court Judges Library is currently part of the administrative building of the Supreme Court. The original library was situated in the main building and when the Supreme Court building was inaugurated in 1958, dignitaries like Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, and Dr Rajendra Prasad walked amongst the very books that are now housed in the new library.

The new library's location, while forward-looking in its state-of-the-art facilities, does not shy away from its rich legacy. It preserves the spirit of the old library, whose space is now being converted into the National Judicial Museum and Archives. The museum, which is being refurbished with the latest technology, is expected to be completed by the end of October, with an inaugural event planned for early November.

The idea of transforming the historical library into a modern institution was conceived years earlier. Dr Uma Narayan, now Registrar and Officer on Special Duty (OSD) of the library, played a pivotal role in this journey. She had previously worked closely with CJI Chandrachud during their time at the Bombay High Court, where they had already collaborated on digitisation and archival projects.

In 2021, the then CJI SA Bobde appointed Dr Narayan as Additional Registrar, Library. In 2022, CJI Chandrachud appointed her as OSD Registrar for Library, Museum, and Editorial. Together, they steered the launch of several initiatives, including the launch of the Digital Supreme Court Reports (SCR) in 2024, which replaced the traditional print copies with digital versions. This move not only streamlined access but also reflected the Supreme Court's growing emphasis on sustainability and modernity.

AMBEDKAR TO SAPRU: THE LIBRARY'S PRICELESS GEMS

In April last year, under the leadership of CJI Chandrachud, the new four-floor library became fully functional. Described as one of the largest law libraries in India, this facility is not just a collection of books, but an intricate network of knowledge resources spread across the ground and three upper floors. Each floor has been meticulously designed to cater to specific legal research needs.

The ground floor houses a comprehensive collection of commentaries on various subjects, while the first floor is dedicated entirely to legislation, including all central and state laws, as well as official gazettes.

For legal scholars and practitioners alike, the second floor is a treasure trove, holding foreign and Indian periodicals, foreign law reports, Indian law reports, and an extensive collection of debates from both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, as well as the complete set of all the Constituent Assembly debates.

The second floor also houses the Soli Sorabjee Bibliotheca, a tribute to the late legal luminary and former Attorney General of India. After he died, his family donated three to four massive shelves of Sorabjee's personal collection of law books to the Supreme Court. Not far from this is the personal collection of Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru, a freedom fighter and a constitutional expert who played a key role in drafting India's Constitution.

Additionally, the library also holds rare works, such as Durga Das Basu's first commentary on the Constitution of India from 1950, which includes a foreword by Dr BR Ambedkar himself - a piece that underscores the historical significance of the institution. These priceless collections give the library a unique status, connecting modern legal scholars with the intellectual heritage of India's legal giants.

On the third floor, one can find additional copies of law reports, digests and other legal documents that provide crucial support for day-to-day court operations.

FUTURISTIC COURTS: VISIONARY DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

One of the most revolutionary developments in the library's modern history is its digitisation. In line with CJI Chandrachud’s vision for a futuristic judiciary, the Supreme Court Judges Library has been working diligently to make legal resources more accessible.

To facilitate this transition, advanced technologies and softwares built in-house have been employed. The library also uses state-of-the-art devices like the Bookeye5 publication scanner that can scan a 200-page book in just 20 minutes, helping to build a comprehensive digital repository that can benefit judicial officers across India. Remote access services are also being developed, allowing judges, law clerks, and court staff to retrieve essential legal resources at any time.

CJI Chandrachud’s vision of 'futuristic courts' has slowly but surely come to life, with court numbers 1 to 9 operating as digital courts. The library supports these courts in real-time, providing judges with case laws, legislation and relevant documents directly to their digital screens during hearings. This system of digital requisitioning allows the library to provide resources instantly, enhancing the speed and quality of justice dispensation.

The library staff includes a range of people from the Registrar to software programmers, members from Adobe's design team and editorial staff. The 70+ member team together undertakes multiple digitisation projects and also works in coordination with the translation team for translating over 74,000 judgments into 17 Indian languages including Hindi, Bengali, Assamese, Kannada, Punjabi and Tamil. These translations were uploaded to the eSCR portal.

The RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) System has already been introduced, enabling seamless tracking and management of books and resources. The library also promptly sends out its daily bulletin 'Nyaay Samachaar' at 7 am every day to all judges, which includes clippings of legal news from across the country.

The vision for the next ten months is to create an extensive digital library that will become an invaluable resource for judicial officers nationwide.

VIDHI GYAN SAMPADA: FUTURE OF LEGAL KNOWLEGDE

The Judges Library is working on an ambitious digital initiative envisioned by CJI Chandrachud that is currently under development. The platform is expected to provide open access to an expansive repository of legal resources, including legislative history, constitutional insights, committee reports and scholarly articles.

The Judges Library Legal Research Wing was created in 2021 for specialised research. It is this wing that has been instrumental in creating tools like the Legislative History Repository of Central/State Acts, including legislative History of amendments and related documents, and a constitutional database, including article-wise detailed reference material on Amendments, case law references and other academic articles.

Some comprehensive databases are in the process of development under the umbrella of this new digital initiative and are expected to soon be available to its users for use through remote access.

'NYAAY DEVI': STATUE OF LADY JUSTICE

At the entrance to the library stands a statue that symbolises its ethos - an Indian version of Lady Justice. Dressed in a pearl white saree, holding a copy of the Indian Constitution in place of the traditional sword and without a blindfold, the statue represents the unique Indian perspective on justice.

Unlike the European and English representations of Lady Justice, the Nyaay Devi does not close her eyes. Instead, she allows the graceful rays from her open eyes to illuminate the path of justice, drawing from ancient sutras that emphasise truth and fairness.

This vision of justice was inspired by a mural outside the CJI's chamber, which was crafted in the 1960s. The mural, composed of colourful porcelain tiles, features Mahatma Gandhi on one side and the Indian Goddess of Justice on the other.

The statue was unveiled when the new library was inaugurated on April 24 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the landmark Kesavananda Bharati judgment.