Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai on Friday announced that the glass partitions in the corridors of the Supreme Court will be dismantled, and the Court will return to its original architectural layout.

Addressing the gathering at the farewell ceremony of Justice Abhay S Oka, CJI Gavai said, “We have taken a decision to remove the glass partition. After you come back from vacations, you will see the Supreme Court in its original avatar.”

The removal of the glass enclosures will also bring an end to centralized air-conditioning in the corridors—an amenity introduced as part of a modernization initiative during the tenure of former CJI DY Chandrachud. The glass panels were installed to enable climate control within the corridors, shielding them from Delhi’s extreme weather conditions.

However, the changes had faced opposition from sections of the legal fraternity. Both the Supreme Court Advocate-on-Record Association (SCAORA) and the Supreme Court Bar Association had called for the removal of the glass panels, stating that the decision had been made without adequate consultation.

In a letter sent to then CJI Sanjiv Khanna in December last year, SCAORA emphasized the symbolic value of the original design: “The corridors, as they once were, embodied the grandeur and timelessness of the Court's legacy. Reinstating the older, open design would not only preserve the historic character of the building but also foster a sense of openness and accessibility.”

The decision marks a return to tradition while responding to long-standing demands from the Bar for greater transparency and preservation of the Court's architectural identity.