Meghalaya Rights Forum urges CM Conrad Sangma to establish high court bench in Garo Hills

In a significant appeal aimed at strengthening judicial access in western Meghalaya, the Constitutional Rights Forum (CRF), Headquarters Tura, has submitted a formal representation to Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, requesting the establishment of a High Court Bench in the Garo Hills region.

The appeal, jointly signed by the Forum’s President and Secretary, cites longstanding challenges faced by the people of East Garo Hills, West Garo Hills, South Garo Hills, North Garo Hills, and South West Garo Hills in accessing justice due to the geographical and infrastructural gap between the Garo Hills and the existing Meghalaya High Court in Shillong.

In the memorandum, the Forum emphasized three major concerns:

Poor connectivity and inadequate road infrastructure, which make travel to Shillong time-consuming and arduous.

High travel and lodging costs, which pose a significant burden on litigants from economically weaker backgrounds.

Delays in case disposal, owing to the logistical difficulty in appearing before the High Court, resulting in prolonged legal uncertainty for many.

The petition references data obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) Act, which shows that the Garo Hills region collectively generates approximately 1,250–1,500 case records annually. This volume, the Forum argues, is substantial enough to warrant a permanent High Court Bench to facilitate timely legal redressal.

Establishing a local bench, the Forum contends, would ensure affordable and faster justice, ease the caseload on the Shillong bench, and promote regional judicial equity.