CJI Justice DY Chandrachud lays stone for new TG High Court

Hyderabad: Observing that young lawyers were not being mentored by the senior lawyers and judges, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice DY Chandrachud on Wednesday impressed the judges to not only mentor the young lawyers but also the colleagues on the bench as well.

The CJI was speaking after laying the foundation stone for the new building of the Telangana High Court at Rajendranagar on Wednesday. Justice Chandrachud said that all the people present in the programme were mentored by a generation of judges and lawyers.

Sharing an experience, the CJI said that once he went to court without a paper in his hand. One of the senior advocates told him that ‘never go without papers in your hands’. “These are ideas which we have learnt from senior members of the Bar. Course of justice is far more important than the course of merely succeeding for your client. Ultimately the course of justice reflects the wider goal which the system is bound to preserve,” said the CJI.

The CJI further said that most importantly, a lawyer who is acquiring the reputation of being a fair lawyer, acquires that reputation permanently. A lawyer who is liberal with the truth, acquires the reputation of being a lawyer who is liberal with the truth.

These are the mentoring values which we learn from senior members of Bar. Sharing another experience Justice Chandrachud said, “On the second day as judge in Bombay High Court, while hearing an important case relating to tenders. Senior judge called and asked me to dictate the judgment. When I asked if I could dictate this at home, he said, if you don’t dictate now, you will never learn the art of dictating in court.

These are small instances which ultimately add up to the whole cycle of life. One thing is lacking is mentoring. young lawyers are not mentored by the seniors. Judges have to mentor not just young lawyers but also colleagues on bench as well,” said Justice Chandrachud.

On the infrastructure, the CJI said that it was not just providing more facilities. It plays a significant role in the mainstreaming of communities and groups in the societies, who have been traditionally excluded from the judicial process. “We must all remember that public spaces often reflect pre-existing social inequalities in our societies. Our infrastructure sometimes reflects certain signs of exclusion such as lack of washrooms for women, ramps for disabled and lactating rooms for young mothers. Disabled friendly parking places, tactile tiles for blind etc,” said the CJI.

Stating that the young today were impatient for change, the CJI said that the new creation of infrastructure is intended to reach out to the broader cross section of society. “We should send a message that the litigation was not matter at last recourse,” said the CJI.

The State government allocated 100 acres of land from the State Agriculture Universities in Rajendranagar Mandal in Rangareddy District. The estimated cost of construction is Rs 500 crores. The new complex is designed to accommodate all the necessary facilities required for a High Court, including courtrooms, chambers for judges, administrative offices, libraries, and other support services. It will incorporate modern technology and infrastructure to streamline judicial processes and enhance efficiency.