Satisfied That Much Was Done & Conscious That A Lot Remains To Be Done: Justice Ravindra Bhat Says In Farewell Speech

On October 20, 2023, Justice Ravindra Bhat of the Supreme Court delivered a reflective farewell speech, at an event organized by the Supreme Court Bar Association to mark his retirement. 

Justice Bhat began by expressing his deep gratitude for the privilege of serving as a member of the bench of the highest court in the country.

"I count myself to be amongst one of the most lucky person to have ended my career here, as a member of the bench of the highest court of the country," Justice Bhat stated.

He acknowledged the unique bond he shared with his colleagues. He noted that four of them, including the present Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, Justice Kaul, and Justice Hrishikesh Roy, were his classmates from the same batch at Law Faculty, DU

Additionally, he mentioned the rare honor of serving on the same bench as Justice Viswanathan, who was his former colleague from the chamber of Mr. Vaidyanathan.

In his speech, Justice Bhat provided an insight into his upbringing, highlighting the values instilled in him by his parents. He particularly emphasized his father's influence, came from a village in Kerala which did not see electricity till he for 22 years old and demonstrated qualities of integrity, independence, love for perfection, and a passion for learning.

"My parents ensured that I and my siblings had a happy childhood memories. My father belonged to a village in Kerala, picturesquely set amongst Western Ghats, which till I was 22 years old, got no electricity," he reminisced.

Justice Bhat also shared a heartfelt tribute to his sister, who tragically passed away at the age of 44. "I had a good fortune of having a lovely caring sister who taught me aesthetics and appreciation of art. We mourn her tragic death at the age of 44. The void of her absence remains," he noted.

He spoke about his early career and the lessons he learned from his senior advocates, Mr. KM Bhatt and Mr. Vaidyanathan, emphasizing that practical solutions were often more critical than mere knowledge.

"Mr. Vaidyanathan taught me by example one invaluable lesson - it is not knowledge which is needed but it is the practical solution to any problem and one's ability to see clearly the solutions that the law can afford," Justice Bhat explained.

Justice Bhat also acknowledged the 'giants' of the legal world he had the privilege to interact with, including Ashok Sen, Fali Nariman, Sorabjee, and K. Parasaran, who praised his arguments in the TMA Pai foundation case before 11 judges.

He went on to discuss the challenges faced by judges and their families and the sacrifices they must make. He expressed regret for missing out on his son's growth but was confident that he had instilled valuable principles in him.

"I have lost many opportunities of watching my only son Anirudh grow. To him, I must acknowledge my failure. But I am confident that we parents have instilled values that will ensure him to lead a principled life," he shared.

Justice Bhat gave due credit to his wife, Mohini, for her unwavering support and for managing their household and careers.

"To my wife Mohini, I acknowledge a huge debt of gratitude for being beside me, cheering me up, and supporting me, and also shouldering the heaviest burden of managing me, my household, and her career. Whatever success I have achieved would not have been possible without her unfailing support and love," he expressed.

Acknowledging the importance of family and friends, he noted that true wealth is derived from the love and care received from loved ones. He also expressed his gratitude to friends from the legal community for their unwavering support and feedback.

"In my view a person is not rich because of material wealth alone, it is the love and care that he secured from the family. If that is the definition of wealth, I am a billionaire," Justice Bhat remarked.

"I have an extended family of loving, loyal, and caring law researchers. They are assimilated and part of my own family," he added.

He encouraged younger members of the bar to never stop seeking knowledge and self-improvement, upgrade their skills, look beyond their immediate circles, and develop compassion and empathy for others.

"I have learnt some invaluable lessons which I hope that the younger members of the bar will benefit from," Justice Bhat said–

1. Never give up the quest of knowledge and self-improvement;

2. Upgrade your skills, this is necessary and vital given the exponential growth of technology;

3. Looking beyond you, your family, and their needs – there is far too much to be done here;

4. Develop compassion towards fellow human beings. Empathy and compassion are uniquely human and will aid your spiritual growth and contentment much more than your quest of material gain.  

In his concluding remarks, Justice Bhat thanked his colleagues, senior partners, and bench partners for their support, and the court's officials and staff for their dedication.

"Today I stand with the satisfaction that much was done and I am conscious that a lot remains to be done. But I am sanguine with the thought that the legal profession is vibrant. I only wish that it upholds the values that informed it all these years - the values of independence, the importance of the rule of law, and the professionalism that is needed to face many fold challenges of the times and the future. My advice is be fearless, be true to yourself, do not try to be someone else and constantly seek excellence," he concluded.