Live
- ‘Get Set, Grow Summit 2024’ Focuses on Digital Detox for Families
- Stokes motivates his team to put in extra effort, says England pacer Potts
- From overcoming setbacks to leading India in U19 Women’s Asia Cup, Niki Prasad's amazing journey
- Driving Enterprise Security: Inside Venkata Reddy Thummala’s Leadership Journey
- Constitution debate: PM Modi hails 'Nari Shakti'; makes strong pitch for 'United Bharat’
- Abhijeet Bhardwaj: Revolutionizing Enterprise Analytics with Innovation and Expertise
- Bihar: Inquiry initiated against principal who went to buy veggies during school hours
- Press Sri Lankan Prez for release of Indian fishermen: TN Cong MP to EAM Jaishankar
- TN: DMK postpones executive meet due to heavy rains & Parliament session
- Porous silicon oxide electrodes can fix durability issues in batteries: Researchers
Ramana, Justice par excellence
Highlights
It has been an ominous week at the state High Court. It started with senior most judge NV Ramana leaving too take over as Chief Justice of Delhi...
It has been an ominous week at the state High Court. It started with senior most judge NV Ramana leaving too take over as Chief Justice of Delhi High Court and it ended with acts of violence on the vexed issue of state partition. Politics notwithstanding, it was sad that colleagues who lived so long together and believed that argument and debate is the best form of communication stood neither tests in the crucial moment.
It was a record and a path-breaking moment when the state Advocate General rose at 10.30 am to bid farewell to Justice Ramana that Monday morning. Never in the history of the court was the farewell in the first working hour. Also, many advocates ( seniors included) could not make it into the jampacked court hall. Addressing the full court in his usual baritone of controlled emotion Advocate General A Sudarshan Reddy not only formally recalled the various milestones in the illustrious career of the son of a farmer, but interestingly pointed out a very important aspect of the judge’s judicial contribution.
He pointed out that Justice Ramana “ not only protected the industry from being wound up but also protected the interests of employees and financial institutions by ensuring that upon a company being wound up, their dues are settled .He added that the judge “ always advocated that the government , government departments, and litigants should work in close association and cooperation and any dispute arising between or amongst them during the course of their business should be resolved by employing Alternative Disputes Resolution and not to resort to courts and litigate like a common man”
The importance of such a contribution in the context of docket burdened courts and the state being the largest litigant cannot be over-emphasised. However, the man revealed himself in his response. Perceived as one who was hesitant with his language and had in some manner built a wall around himself it was heartening to watch the man render his farewell speech with such clarity. I have maintained that he has been one of our best in recent times operating from the majesty of the court and he proved it all again.
For a man who held the office of Additional Advocate General when he was all of just forty, and had assisted the likes of Nani Palkhiwala, Dr P C Rao and close association with former chief Justice JS Verma, he was modesty personified when he said: sometimes god lets you hit the rock bottom, so that you will realise that He is the rock at the bottom. One very important aspect of the man was subject of accurate self analysis when he said : I tried to help everyone who came to me for help , irrespective of caste, creed and religion. I always accepted rejection as God’s re-direction.”
Quoting Matrin Luther King Jr. who said: the ultimate measure of a man is now where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy” and struck a personal note of how he struggled towards his achievements ( read his many laurels):“I have embraced all the challenges that came my way and strengthened myself and understood that every failure , carried with it the seed of an equivalent advantage” He spelt out a philosophy for judges, which if adapted would do well for the system. He said : I always believed that the ultimate purpose of the Justice Delivery system is to provide justice to the common man who comes to the court with his grievance.
“ Judiciary is now going through a phase of revolution in the country and Judges are having a larger than life image . People are placing a lot of trust in the Judiciary, but we have to continuously strive to live up to their expectations. The greatest strength of the Judiciary is ultimately the confidence reposed in it by the common man. The responsibility vested with Judiciary has also gone up leaps and bounds as Judiciary appears to have the ultimate say in all matters. …. The Bench and the Bar are Trustees of our Legal system. The true and real beneficiary are the people of India who have an inalienable right ensured under the Constitution to be provided with justice efficiently and effectively and this responsibility lies both with the Bench and the Bar”
I sign off with the hope that the above voiced sentiment seeps the many labyrinths of the system and Justice N V Ramana shifts his official work address in the country’s capital soon.
Next Story
ADVERTISEMENT
