Opening of the Museum of Justice for the public

On 10th March 2023 the refurbished Museum of Justice set up by the High Court of Orissa inside the Barabati Quila, Cuttack was opened for the public in the presence of Dr. S. Muralidhar, Chief Justice and the Judges of the High Court. The Museum had been inaugurated by Professor Ganeshi Lal, Governor of Odisha on 25th February 2023.

Besides studying the collection, storage, conservation and exhibition protocols of different Museums of the country, a consultative committee of historians, conservation experts and legal experts had been formed to advise the High Court on the contents of the proposed Museum of Justice. Dr. Justice A.K. Misra, Shri A.B. Tripathy, retired IPS, Shri B.B. Mishra, retired IPS, Dr Nivedita Mohanty, Historian, Shri A.B. Ota, Director, Tribal Museum, Shri Sanjib Chandra Hota, retired IPS, Prof Nihar Ranjan Patnaik, Shri Bhabani Shankar Chayani, Collector, Cuttack and Smt. Mallika Mitra, Director, INTACH were a member of the consultative committee.

On the advice of the Consultative Committee, the concept and the contents of the Museum have been determined and arranged.

• Theme Pavilion is the introductory gallery containing digital timeline of the High Court of Orissa along with picture and graphic model of the Court and its development since inception;

• Gallery-1 attempts to trace out the evolution of justice system in Odisha from ancient to modern with notes, excerpts from old texts, photos, inscriptions and archival records;

• Gallery-2 depicts the freedom movement from 1804 to 1947 with references of trials and conviction of various freedom fighters from Odisha;

• Gallery-3 portrays the mode of dispensation of justice among the tribes as well as importance of tribal customary laws;

• Gallery-4 contains the glimpses of important judgements and news of the period from 1808 to 2013;

• Gallery-5 showcases the old court apparels & accessories;

• Gallery-6 tells about the historical timeline of development of legal education in Odisha and information on prominent lawyers of Odisha along with classification of legal practitioners; and

• Gallery-7 has a mock court room modelled on the heritage court rooms of Baripada and Aska.

Besides the above galleries, the Museum will also have an audio-visual room, a library and a souvenir shop.

On the occasion of opening the Museum to the public, a function was organized in its premises to acknowledge the contribution of the consultative committee members where Dr. S. Muralidhar, Chief Justice and the Judges of the High Court of Orissa felicitated them.

Presenting the welcome address Justice Debabrata Dash said that Odisha has a rich heritage of justice delivery system and the Museum of Justice showcases its glorious history from the ancient period. Justice Dash said the Museum of Justice could be possible due to the vision of the Chief Justice.

Sharing their thoughts the members of the Consultative Committee appreciated the initiative of the High Court and especially the vision of Chief Justice Dr. S. Muralidhar in rejuvenating the High Court Museum as the Museum of Justice.

Speaking on the occasion Chief Justice Dr. S. Muralidhar applauded the contribution of the members of the Consultative Committee for their guidance in shaping the Museum of Justice and also lauded the efforts of all others including INTACH, Piloo Mody College of Architecture, Cuttack Municipal Corporation and the Works Department who contributed for it. He said the people of Odisha will find their roots and their connection to the history in the Museum of Justice as this is a place of reflection and introspection where one can connect to the larger past. The Chief Justice said that Odisha is rich in the offering of its culture, tradition and art and its people have a deep sense of history and culture imbibed in them which makes Odisha a lovable place for all. He added a glimpse of the richness of Odisha is showcased in the Museum of Justice. The Chief Justice announced on the occasion that the Museum was being formally opened for the public and the visiting hours would be from 10 AM to 6 PM and that nothing will be charged to the visitors for the first few months.

Proposing a vote of thanks Justice Sashikanta Mishra said that the Museum of Justice belongs to the High Court and the State of Odisha. He said that the Museum of Justice could be possible because of the efforts, vision and commitment of Dr. S. Muralidhar. He thanked the consultative committee and all the agencies for their contribution to the Museum's rejuvenation.

The Museum of Justice is now open to the public every day from 10 AM to 6 PM except Mondays.