“If I Can Do It, You Can Too”: Justice Sunita Agarwal To Young Female Lawyers As She Bids Farewell To Allahabad High Court

The Allahabad High Court on Thursday held farewell ceremony for Justice Sunita Agarwal, who has been elevated as the Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court. In her parting speech, Justice Agarwal stressed upon the importance of realising that everyone is a part of the institution.

“To the young members of the bar, I would like to say, always remember that this institution is above all of us. We exist because this institution exists and it is not the other way round. This institution is so large hearted that it embraces everyone who enters. No individual is and will ever be greater than the institution. Pay your sense of respect and gratitude to this august institution every day,” she remarked.

Justice Agarwal started her legal profession in 1990 when she enrolled with the bar at Allahabad. She was elevated to the bench of Allahabad High Court as an Additional Judge on November 21, 2011. She took oath as a Permanent Judge on August 06, 2013. Justice Agarwal said when she joined the bar, there were very few women advocates in the Allahabad High Court and in the profession in general. Many questioned her and her place in this profession.

While encouraging young women students and lawyers, she urged them to be confident, honest and perseverant. “Do not let anyone tell you what you can and cannot achieve. Even sky is not the limit. If I can do it, you can too. You are better than me”, she added.

She went on to say that the bar is the judge of the judges. She quoted the judge's prayer, “Give me grace to hear patiently, to consider diligently, to understand rightly and to decide justly. Grant me due sense of humility that I may not be mislead by wilfulness, vanity or egotism.”

Justice Agarwal also thanked her family and every member of her Court staff. She acknowledged the unending support from her seniors both on the bar and the bench.

While stating that Justice Agarwal is the first female judge of the Allahabad High Court to become a Chief Justice, Chief Justice Printinker Diwaker said “though it’s a loss for Allahabad, but it will be gain for Gujarat”.