The state is set to have an academy to train judges and judicial officers. Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee will inaugurate the academy, christened West Bengal State Judicial Academy, on December 3.

Chief Justice of India Y.K. Sabharwal will be present at the inauguration, at Bidyut Bhavan, Salt Lake. Justice Ruma Pal and Justice S.B. Sinha of the Supreme Court, and Calcutta High Court Chief Justice V.S. Sirpurkar will also attend the programme.

The chief objective of the academy will be to educate subordinate judges and higher judicial officers to ensure smooth disposal of suits.

Sitting judges of the high court, retired judges of the Supreme Court and leading advocates will conduct the training programmes.

?The resolution for setting up such academies in every state was adopted at the Chief Justices? Conference in New Delhi in 2002. Some of the state governments have already set up such academies. In West Bengal, such an institution could not be established till now as the state government had not been able to provide the necessary infrastructure,? explained a senior officer of Calcutta High Court.

He added that the state government had recently decided to utilise seven vacant apartments in Bijon Bhavan for temporarily housing the academy. Several judges reside in the Salt Lake estate. A large plot at Rajarhat has been earmarked as the permanent site of the academy.

According to officials, the aims and objectives of the academy are:

• Education and training of higher judicial officers and court administrators

• Development of judicial resources and judicial policy

• Establishment of a centre of excellence in judicial education and administration

At Writers? Buildings on Thursday, state law minister Nisith Adhikari said: ?The academy will train subordinate court judges to expedite the hearing of cases. There will also be courses for judicial officers. Those who are joining the higher judicial services should know the details of court proceedings, especially the writing of judgments.?

The judicial officers and administrators will be trained in batches of 30. The training of the first batch will start on December 4 and continue till December 19.

The participants will be provided boarding and lodging during the training.