Justice Ajay Rastogi
During his farewell function held on Friday, Justice Ajay Rastogi deprecated the practice of applauding judges for making statements against the government.
He opined that being an independent judge did not simply mean one must be anti-establishment.
“If someone says I am an independent judge…then give the judgment anti-establishment and against the government…I said NO. We base our judgments on material appear before us…You make one statement against government…everyone is happy and the media as well. This practice needs to change,” he said.
Justice Rastogi continued,
“If this continues to happen then God knows what will happen. Message must go that court is not concerned who is correct and who is not…it is about who is correct among the two.”
The retiring judge was addressing a gathering at a farewell function organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA).
During his address, the judge highlighted the importance of treating all parties equally, despite who their lawyer is. He stressed that the top court is meant for every citizen and for every complaint. Therefore, whoever comes there must be given the same priority.
“I asked in the evening, why did a young lawyer mention then…the lawyer said no one listens to me in the morning…the duty of the Court is to see that the man in the last row must get indulgence like the one in the first row,” he shared while recalling an incident from court.
Justice Rastogi urged senior lawyers to nurture juniors in their practice and provide them a stipend.
“They will remember you…provide them with the best of assistance,” he said.
Today was Justice Rastogi’s last working day as a judge of the top court.
He will retire on June 17 though the Court will be shut then due to the summer vacation which commences tomorrow.
While sharing the ceremonial bench with the Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud this morning, he remarked that he was not retiring but only demitting the office.
Justice Rastogi was born on June 18, 1958 and joined the Bar in 1982. He served as President of the Rajasthan High Court Bar Association at Jaipur in 1999-2000.
He was elevated as a judge of the Rajasthan High Court in 2013 and served as its Acting Chief Justice for a short stint in 2016.
He transferred to the Tripura High Court as its Chief Justice in 2018, before his elevation to the Supreme Court on November 2, 2018.
[Read our live-coverage of the farewell below]
