“Stubborn yet soft, bold, humorous, witty, unassuming, sincere and conscientious,” are some of the many epithets used by the staff as well as lawyers at the Madras High Court Bench here to describe Chief Justice Sanjay Kishal Kaul who presided over the court proceedings here for the first time on Wednesday.
The court employees were bowled over by the simplicity of the Chief Justice right from the moment he landed at the airport here on Tuesday evening. “I was expecting the Chief Justice to emerge out of the terminal wearing a suit, but was amazed to see him walk down in a simple formal dress like any other gentleman,” a court staff said.
C. Arul Vadivel alias Sekar of Madras High Court Madurai Bench Advocates Association (MAHAA) said the advocates were pleasantly surprised when the Chief Justice visited all the bar associations in the High Court on Wednesday evening without expecting the office-bearers to extend an invitation to him. “It was so nice of the Chief,” he added.
Earlier in the day, replying to the customary welcome address at court hall number one, the Chief Justice urged the advocates to desist from boycotting the courts. “A temple cannot be closed. Same way, a temple of justice also cannot be closed,” he told the lawyers and said: “My doors are always open for discussion. If people sit across the table, I do not think there is any problem that cannot be solved.”
In his welcome address, Additional Advocate General K. Chellapandian pointed out that the Chief Justice, hailing from Srinagar, was elevated as a judge of Delhi High Court at a young age of 42 years in May 2001. Earlier, he had practised law in the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court in commercial, civil, writ, original and company cases.
Isaac Mohanlal, president, Madurai Bench of Madras High Court Bar Association (MMBA), said that a judgement delivered by the Chief Justice, when he was in the Delhi High Court in 2008, in a case related to a controversial painting by renowned artist M.F. Husain had become a magnum opus on law relating to freedom of speech and expression.
W. Peter Ramesh Kumar, president, Madras High Court Bench Advocates Association (MBHAA) listed out a number of grievances on behalf of the Bar and requested the Chief Justice to attend to them. K.P. Thiagarajan, president, MAHAA and J. Nisha Banu of Women Advocates Association also welcomed the Chief Justice.
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