Bhubaneswar, January 11: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi inaugurated the Centre for Judicial Archives at the Orissa High Court in Cuttack on Saturday in the presence of Chief Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh, Orissa High Court, Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan, and other esteemed judges of the Orissa High Court.
In his speech, CM Majhi highlighted the global recognition of the Indian judiciary and emphasized that the Centre will not only preserve judicial records but also safeguard the state's cultural heritage. He assured that the Odisha government is committed to offering full support, including financial, administrative, and technological resources, for the Centre's success.
Chief Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh, in his address his erudite eloquence, has epigrammatically expressed the significance of setting up the Centre for Judicial Archives, as many endangered important historical records of the Court failed to attract the attention of State Archives for their preservation
Justice Sanjeeb Kumar Panigrahi delivered the welcome address, underscoring the importance of preserving judicial records and their enduring impact on both current and future generations.
The Centre for Judicial Archives was created with the primary objective of conserving the delicate judicial records from the High Court and district courts across Odisha. To date, the Centre has preserved about 75,000 records dating back to before 1950. Of these, over 4,132 files—containing nearly 85,000 pages—have been scientifically conserved, and 1,151 files have been digitized.
Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan spoke about the Centre's importance, calling it a valuable resource not just for Odisha, but for the entire nation.
The ceremony was also attended by Advocate General Pitambar Acharya, Deputy Solicitor General of India for the Orissa High Court Prasanna Kumar Parhi, as well as senior advocates, government officials, and office-bearers of the High Court Bar Association.
