The need for imparting "Judicial Education" was being felt all over the country, but the concept got impetus only when the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India came in seisin of all India Judges Association matter and observed that the mindset of a Judicial Officer needs to be guided vis-a-vis functions of Judicial System and mannerism, and justice needs to be done at the earliest. It was mandated that each State sets up its own Judicial Academy. The 117th report of the Law Commission of India (1986) dealt with the subject of Training Judicial Officers, which also quoted visions of Lord Devlin and concluded that the "updating of the knowledge and skills can hardly be left to the voluntary effort of individual Judges."
Training can significantly upgrade the capability of everyone called upon to perform a duty. It is all the more so in the case of Judicial Officers, because the sociology of law is acquiring new and added significance with the development of society. The Judicial Academy promotes positive attitudes and the development of sound life values.
The Judicial Academy helps to foster sound values of life and the formation of constructive attitudes. Judicial education is an indispensable tool for ensuring an Effective, Independent and Credible Judiciary.
After thorough deliberations, it was decided to set up the Chandigarh Judicial Academy for the States of Punjab and Haryana, in the near vicinity of the Hon’ble High Court. Chandigarh Judicial Academy was provided with 8.5 acres of land by the Chandigarh administration for setting up the Judicial Academy on October 21, 2005. In terms of the unanimous decision of the Hon’ble High Court of Punjab and Haryana taken on October 18, 2006, a society, namely "Chandigarh Judicial Academy for Punjab and Haryana" was formed and registered under the Societies Registration Act to undertake the task of Training Judicial Officers for the State of Punjab and Haryana as per guidelines provided by the First National Judicial Pay Commission, in its report Volume 2, Chapter XIII. The initial corpus of Rs.2.5 Crores and the first year’s running expenses of Rs. 2.5 Crores were to be shared equally by the States of Punjab and Haryana. Subsequent contributions are to be made as decided by the General Body.
As a result of the untiring efforts of all of the Hon’ble Judges of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, this magnificent piece of architectural marvel came into being, constructed by the Engineering Wing of the Chandigarh Administration with funds provided by the States of Punjab and Haryana in equal proportions. The 23rd May 2009, was a red-letter day in the history of Chandigarh Judicial Academy when the premises were inaugurated by the then Chief Justice of India, flanked by many other Judges from the Apex Court and Hon’ble Judges from Punjab and Haryana High Court.