CJI Surya Kant Calls for Black Robes Ban in Family Courts, Proposes 'Family Resolution Centres' — UPSC Current Affairs | March 18, 2026
CJI Surya Kant Calls for Black Robes Ban in Family Courts, Proposes 'Family Resolution Centres'
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant urged judges and lawyers to drop black robes in Family Courts to avoid intimidating children and proposed renaming them as ‘Family Resolution Centres’. The suggestion, made at the Rohini Family Court Complex inauguration, underscores a shift towards child‑friendly, restorative justice and highlights the need for infrastructural and procedural reforms in India’s family law system.
Overview At the foundation‑stone ceremony of the new Family Court Complex in Rohini, New Delhi, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant urged a visual and semantic shift in family justice. He suggested that judges and lawyers abandon the traditional black robes in Family Courts to prevent intimidation of children, and rename them as Family Resolution Centres . Key Developments Judge and lawyer attire in family matters to be reconsidered, dropping the black robe. Proposal to rename Family Courts as ‘Family Resolution Centres’. Calls for faster disposal of family disputes and expansion of court infrastructure. Highlighting judges’ workload, infrastructural gaps, and the need for humane, emotion‑sensitive adjudication. Important Facts The event was attended by senior members of the judiciary, including Supreme Court judges and the Delhi High Court . Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta was also present. Key judicial remarks: CJI Surya Kant warned that black robes create a “fear psychosis” in children. Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya stressed the need for speedy disposal and more courts. Justice Manmohan highlighted infrastructural deficiencies as a bottleneck to access to justice. Justice Sanjeev Narula cautioned against the hidden costs of heavy cause lists and long working hours on judges. Justice V. Kameswar Rao reiterated ongoing efforts to reduce delays. UPSC Relevance The proposal touches upon several GS topics: Judicial reforms – attire and nomenclature changes reflect a move towards a more child‑friendly, restorative justice model, aligning with the access‑to‑justice agenda. Family law – understanding the jurisdiction of Family Courts is essential for GS2 questions on personal laws and social welfare. Administrative efficiency – the call for more courts and better infrastructure links to governance and public administration themes in GS1 and GS2. Ethical considerations – the emphasis on reducing fear in children aligns with the ethics of empathy and humane administration (GS4: Ethics). Way Forward To translate the CJI’s suggestions into policy, the following steps are recommended: Convene a committee of the Supreme Court and state governments to draft guidelines on courtroom attire for family matters. Amend the Family Courts Act to incorporate the term ‘Family Resolution Centres’ and broaden mediation provisions. Allocate dedicated budget for infrastructure upgrades, ensuring child‑friendly spaces, counseling rooms, and technology‑enabled case management. Introduce training modules for judges and lawyers on child psychology, mediation techniques, and trauma‑informed practice. Monitor implementation through periodic reports to the National Judicial Data Grid . Adopting these measures can reduce the emotional trauma of litigation for children, improve the efficiency of family dispute resolution, and reinforce the judiciary’s commitment to a humane, rights‑based approach.
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Overview
CJI’s call to drop black robes & rename Family Courts aims at child‑friendly, restorative justice
Key Facts
23 March 2026: CJI Surya Kant proposed banning black robes in Family Courts at the foundation‑stone ceremony of the new Family Court Complex in Rohini, Delhi.
He suggested renaming Family Courts as “Family Resolution Centres” to stress mediation and reconciliation over adjudication.
Family Courts are governed by the Family Courts Act, 1984; any name change would require amendment to this Act.
National Judicial Data Grid data (2025) shows >1.2 million pending family disputes with an average disposal time of over 18 months.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta attended the event, signalling state‑central collaboration for expanding family justice infrastructure.
Background & Context
The proposal touches upon judicial reforms, access‑to‑justice and child‑rights—core components of GS2 (Polity) and GS4 (Ethics). It aligns with the broader agenda of making the justice delivery system more humane, efficient and responsive to vulnerable sections, especially children, in line with constitutional guarantees under Articles 14, 21 and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
UPSC Syllabus Connections
Prelims_GS•Constitution and Political SystemEssay•Philosophy, Ethics and Human ValuesGS2•Executive and Judiciary - structure, organization and functioningGS4•Lessons from lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administratorsGS4•Role of family, society and educational institutions in inculcating valuesEssay•Society, Gender and Social Justice
Mains Answer Angle
In a Mains answer, this can be framed as a GS2 question on judicial reforms and child‑friendly justice, or as a GS4 essay on ethical administration and empathy in public institutions.