The Chief Justice of Madras High Court Amreshwar Pratap Sahi on Wednesday urged lawyers to ponder over the reason for the subject of law not being considered for the Nobel Prize.
In his reply to an official farewell address by Advocate General Vijay Narayan, he said that with competition and growth of law, there was a lot of rush in the courts and a surge in litigation. Lawyers, big and small, now had the opportunity to serve the public at large.
Sounding a word of caution, he said that equally, there was also a rising disbelief and inherent hesitation when one went to engage a lawyer. Noting that lawyers were expected to be an embodiment of faith, he said disciplined conduct was essential to dispel any such disbelief.
Recalling his personal visit to the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota to take a look at the launching pads and other facilities, the Chief Justice said the first thing that struck him while interacting with the scientists there was their humility. “They were far more academically superior than me. Yet, the humility they displayed is the first trait that a lawyer should try to inculcate. Second thing I noticed was their simplicity. Their hair had grown haywire. They had worn slippers and no formal dress.
“They were very simple with no airs, no egos. They took us around [the premises] with such passion as if they had received someone as a special guest,” the Chief Justice said, adding that lawyers must compare themselves with scientists and imbibe their good qualities.
Pointing out that almost all subjects, including social sciences, economics and literature, get their share of the Nobel Prize, he asked lawyers to analyse why law had been left out, though lawyers too come up with so many original thoughts and deal with life itself. “I believe, and it is subject to correction by anyone, it is the passion of scientists, their absolute devotion to their subject and the sense of achievement that can be perceived thereafter that appears to be the reason for Nobel Prizes to be reserved for them,” he said.
Question to lawyers
“Is the legal profession and the entire legal fraternity today embalmed with such devotion, passion or erudition so as to enable them to claim a prize among the Nobel winners?” the Chief Justice asked the gathering of judges and lawyers and urged them to give it a thought.
Though Justice Sahi is due to retire only on December 31 on attaining the age of 62, he was accorded an official farewell by the High Court on Wednesday since it was the last working day before the commencement of the Christmas vacation.
Commending the erudition exhibited by Justice Sahi on the judicial side through his insightful verdicts on a host of complex issues, the A-G said he had disposed of 1,877 main cases and 2,671 miscellaneous cases during his stint of one year and 50 days in the Madras High Court.
“This judge lived and breathed law,” the A-G said and added that he was an equally good administrator and a public speaker too. The law officer paid encomiums for the way in which the Chief Justice dealt with challenges posed by COVID-19.