'Argue Cases On Merits, Don't Beg Before Judges': Justice DK Singh Advises Young Lawyers As He Bids Farewell To Allahabad HC

In an event organised by the UP Advocate General's Office to bid farewell to Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh, who has been transferred to the Kerala High Court, Justice Singh on Thursday advised young lawyers to argue their cases on merits and to never beg before any Judge.

Justice Singh urged young lawyers to not be bothered by materialism or other considerations like the income of other lawyers, and rather, they should focus on their case and strive to deal with their cases with utmost honesty and integrity.

"Being a lawyer is a very big thing, shops keep on running, they keep on closing. Don't worry if someone purchases a very big car...When I was practising in the Supreme Court, Lawyers used to come there in big cars, I never saw who used to come in which car...these external things make no difference. In this profession, if one is capable enough and is honest in his endeavours, they can achieve greater heights"

Although, the Executive Committee of the Oudh Bar Association of the Allahabad High Court, on July 17, decided not to organise a felicitation/farewell function in honour of Justice Singh, a number of lawyers including Senior Counsels attended the function organised on July 20.

Addressing the gathering, he said that it was an emotional moment for him, however, he added that he was going away from the lawyers' fraternity as he would always be 'just a call away' for them. 

Over his tenure as a Judge of the Allahabad High Court, he said:

"My endeavour is to do justice without fear and error, without partiality and with courage. If we do not have the required courage then we cannot stop hooliganism. Only a courageous person can stop hooliganism."

Regarding his transfer to the Kerala High Court, he said:

"I have been entrusted with the representation of my forefathers. I am a descendant of Lord Rama. I am grateful for whatever I have. A few days back I received the holy book Gita. It is God's will that I myself obtain religious books like Gita and Ramayana. Gita is such a sacred holy book that it is held in high esteem. Venerable Shankaracharya came here (North India) from Kerala and I am leaving for his residence (Kerala). I have visited Kerala two or three times and found it to be a very beautiful place."

On the issue of the language barrier faced by the Lawyers in the High Court, Justice Singh said that language is just a medium to convey your point to the Judge and if lawyers read properly, they will get hold of the English language.

As a parting note to advocates, Justice Singh urged young lawyers to keep honing their communication skills and he emphasized the importance of language as he said that language is just a medium to convey your point to the Judge. Justice Singh further highlighted the importance of language by stressing that proficiency in language is a prerequisite for success in this profession.

Before parting with his speech, he expressed his gratitude to all those in attendance. Justice Singh thanked his fellow judges, the members of the Bar, the Registry, and the District Judiciary. He also spoke about how the law students taught him a lot of things.

Justice DK Singh practised in Allahabad High Court till 1997, and thereafter in Supreme Court, from 1998 till the date of his appointment as an Additional Judge of the Allahabad High Court on September 22, 2017. He took the Oath as a permanent Judge on September 6, 2019.