Advocates social engineers

Vijayawada: Advocates are social engineers who should strive to build an egalitarian society, said Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Judge of the Supreme Court while addressing the 111th Annual Bar Day celebrations of the Bezwada Bar Association (BBA) here on Sunday.

Expressing happiness over participating in the 111th anniversary celebrations of the illustrious Bezwada Bar Association which had rich history to its credit, Justice Gogoi said that the ultimate goal is that justice should reach the deserving citizens. He said that a committed Bar should play an important role in bringing change in the dispensation of justice.

Justice N V Ramana, Judge of the Supreme Court, who started his speech in Telugu by reciting a poem of Karunasri exhibiting his love for his mother tongue, recalled how he started his career as an advocate in Bezwada Bar Association. Stating that the lawyers should have social responsibility, Justice Ramana said that Bezwada Bar Association has always been in forefront in serving the society.

No person should be deprived of justice for the simple reason that he could not afford it, Justice Ramana said. “Common man seeks not only legal advice but also advice on various other issues,” he added. Referring to the injustice done to Andhra Pradesh after bifurcation, he hoped that the authorities concerned would establish the High Court and other tribunals in Andhra Pradesh.

He said that the Centre had been requested to establish the southern bench for National Consumer Commission in Vijayawada.He said that dispensation of justice should be in mother tongue since the common man could not understand what was transpiring in the judicial court when his interests are at stake.

Gogusetti Venkateswara Rao, former president of Bezwada Bar Association in his address started eulogising Justice Ramana. After a few moments, Justice Ramana asked him to stop praising him. However, Rao continued showering praises on Justice Ramana, who got up from his seat and went over to Rao asking him to stop it much to the amusement of the large number of advocates present in the meeting. Everyone has a hearty laugh.

Minister for Law and Justice Kollu Ravindra announced that the government was planning to introduce a scheme for the welfare of the advocates. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has asked the minister to contact the presidents of all bar associations in the state before preparing the welfare scheme, he said.

Referring to the inordinate delay in the construction of the civil court building at Vijayawada, the minister said that the government had issued an order calling for fresh tenders with an outlay of Rs 80.6 crore after terminating the old contract. He submitted the copy of GO to Hyderabad High Court Judge V Ramasubrahmanian, who is Krishna district portfolio judge.