CJI Misra also said that age does not matter and that “the young can teach the old. I confess that I am ready to be taught by the degree holder”.
Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra Saturday said that young lawyers, judges and administrators should not get “swayed away” by “infighting and distractions” and need to stay “firm and courageous”
Addressing law students at the sixth annual convocation of the National Law University, Delhi, CJI Misra said: “After you graduate and pass law, your responsibility adds on. As young lawyers, judges and administrators you should not get swayed away by the infighting and distractions that come your way. We, as young, need to remain firm and courageous.”
The event Saturday was also attended by Delhi High Court Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Stressing the need for lawyers to excel in the field of “cause lawyering” CJI Misra said that it was important for young lawyers to familiarise themselves with the undercurrents of various social diversities and disparities that divide society. “This makes it obligatory for all of you to comprehend the manner in which our society functions,” he said.
“Unless you do it, you will find it difficult to mature in your role either as a lawyer or as an administrator. This does not mean that your knowledge in law that you acquired over five years value any less. But without having a comprehensive and pragmatic understanding of social realities, you may not be able to correlate law and social impulses,” he said, adding that thereby “you will find it difficult to bridge the gap between the legality and reality of the society”.
The CJI also said that the “welfare of people in our society is the supreme law” and hoped that the newcomers would move up the scale of their profession by taking deprived sections of society along, which will give them a sense of satisfaction.
“Such law professionals will always be rated as higher than those who only think of financial growth,” he said, adding that social spirited law professionals are always known for their stand on human rights violations.
“You are the crusaders for change in the drive towards equal rights, liberty and justice. You are going to be contributors to the process of imparting justice to the people at large. Always devote some time in your capacity as lawyers for the well-being of the underprivileged,” he said.
CJI Misra also said that age does not matter and that “the young can teach the old. I confess that I am ready to be taught by the degree holder”.
He said: “If you look at history, John Keats died at the age of 26 and who can forget his poems. Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment at 26, Mahavir Jain approximately at 25 plus, Shankaracharya, who had written so much, died at 32. The great poet Lord Byron died at 36.”