The Supreme Court has now opened its doors for general public on designated days, allowing guided tours of its premises. 

Those curious to see the Supreme Court from inside can now get the chance to stroll through the majestic corridors of the apex court premises, but only on every working Saturdays. However, the tour will not take place on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month or in case a declared holiday falls on a Saturday.

A circular issued on January 9 by Registrar Mahesh T Patankar (court and building) said, “In pursuance of the directions of the competent authority, the guided tour shall be conducted on every working Saturday, except second and fourth Saturdays and declared holidays.”

How To Book Slots For Supreme Court Tour?

In order to participate in the guided tour, visitors will have to book a slot in advance, which can be done online through the link: https://guidedtour.sci.nic.in/. This site also has all the details about the tour and the booking process as well.

Four Slots Of 90 Minutes Each

Each guided tour will last for 90 minutes. The designated time slots are as follows:

(i) 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
(ii) 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM
(iii) 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM
(iv) 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM

What Can Visitors See During Tour?

Visitors will now have the opportunity to see areas that are typically restricted to the public. Apart from watching the top court’s historic architecture up close, people will get a chance to see the courtrooms, National Judicial Museum and Archive, grounds, and the new judges library in the Supreme Court’s administrative building.

These guided tours have been taking place for six years now. The idea was conceived during the tenure of former Chief Justice Dipak Misra. The first such tour happened in 2018 on November 3, during the tenure of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi. Since then, nearly 296 guided tours have taken place.

Some visitors have even had the chance to meet Supreme Court judges during their tours, though this is not guaranteed for every tour.

The Supreme Court was built in 1958 and its foundation stone was laid down in 1954 by the first President of India, Dr Rajendra Prasad.