'I Believe In Writing Easy, Judgments Must Be Understandable By Ordinary People': Karnataka HC Chief Justice PS Dinesh Kumar Bids Farewell

Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court, Justice PS Dinesh Kumar, on Friday said he believes in writing easy, readable judgments by using simple jargon.

Speaking at the farewell function organised for him by the Karnataka State Bar Council he said “Judgments writing involves a solemn process to uphold constitutional responsibilities, judgments must be easily understandable by ordinary people.”

Recounting that his introduction to the legal profession began at a young age through his father whose life as an advocate and judge symbolised intellectual aura and divine faith, he said “Indian tradition revere's teachers as equal to god by saying 'Acharya Devo Bhava'. All my gurus have set a shining example by living an ethical and principled life.”

Justice Kumar began to work in the year 1990 in the chambers of Justice Shivaraj. V. Patil, former judge of the Supreme Court "who imparted crucial lessons that the key to success in the legal profession is built upon preparation and strong understanding of law."

“I am most fortunate to have been guided over the decades by Hon'ble Justice Mr M N Venkatachaliah former Chief Justice of India, whose judicial statesmanship has beckoned the progress of Indian Judiciary,” Justice Kumar added.

He said recounted that his association with former Attorney General for India Soli Sorabjee taught him to cultivate the need for perseverance as an essential quality in the legal career. "My horizon of legal knowledge expanded over the decades as an advocate representing the Union of India and various prestigious institutions, like UPSC, CBI, etc."

Stating that Bar and the Bench are indispensable in the process of administration of justice and that the life of a judge is like a hermit in the forest, Justice Kumar said, “I placed my devotion to the sacred words 'Yato Dharmastato Jayah' inscribed in the logo of the Supreme Court of India, which reminds me of the revered duty of a judge to uphold Dharma at all times. As a judge and the Chief Justice, it has been my earnest endeavour to maintain the highest tradition of this court along with my team members. I have tried my best in improving the judicial infrastructure and systematically implementing the e-courts project across the states.”

He also expressed that the Karnataka High Court has an illustrious history with eminent legal luminaries contributing significantly to the development of various jurisprudence. "I am confident that this great institution will continue to grow and enrich itself constitutionally and academically. The Bar plays an important role in building the rule of law society. I pray for the bar to continue its mission, its zeal to enrich the legal profession and serve citizens needing legal services."

Chief Justice Kumar was Appointed as an Additional Judge of the Karnataka High Court on January 2, 2015 and as a Permanent Judge on December 30, 2016. He assumed charge as the Acting Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court on January 25 this year and was appointed as the Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court on 3rd of this month.

The Central Government has notified the appointment of Gujarat High Court judge Justice NV Anjaria as the next Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court.

Watch The Function Here