Special Background Or Connections Not Necessary To Succeed In Legal Profession : Justice Surya Kant

Justice Surya Kant, judge of the Supreme Court, speaking at an event at the Punjab & Haryana High Court, said that to succeed in the legal profession, special backgrounds and connections are not important.

"This is one platform where your hard work, commitment and patience ultimately allow you to win the professional and ultimately allow you to win race and create your space... I am firm believer that it is not necessary that you should come with a special background or special status to succeed in the profession," said the judge.

Justice Surya Kant further said that there has always been, and it will continue to be, a lot of space, demand, and aspirations from the young members of the bar who, to the best of their ability, will provide outstanding assistance to the bench in delivering true and actual justice to the litigants. 

The judge highlighted that there is always a sense of insecurity when we join the legal profession, and it is believed that unless you get a government brief or special connections with the senior advocates, you will not find yourself in a stable profession in the High Court. "I request you not to carry this kind of impression. As I said, work hard and leave everything to your faith. I am absolutely confident that you will succeed," he said.

Adding that Senior members of the bar owe a responsibility to ensure that new generation of the lawyers are encouraged, Justice Surya Kant said that juniors must be given opportunity of drafting or appearance before the Court so that they are allowed to grow to take the space which is left by the bar on account of elevation or retirement.

Backlog Of Cases In High Court

Justice Surya Kant also briefly spoke on backlog of cases in the Punjab & Haryana High Court. The judge pointed out that in 2018, there were over 3 lakh arrear of cases and now there is over 4 lakh, which is "a big challenge for bar & bench both." He added that unless quality assistance is provided by the bar, the bench will not be able be deliver and over come the challenge.

Furthermore, Justice Surya Kant said that there is "a great responsibility on the young and definitely on the senior members of the bar to provide the quality assistance to the bench to ensure the speedy justice. 

"We will have to arrest over arrears then we will have to think how to get rid of the previous matter pending. All the challenges have to be taken together this is fight, is a joint fight and we have to with co-ordination and co-operation."

The judge also said that although the High Court may not be at the desired strength of the number of judges, the challenge of pendency have to be accepted and delivery of justice should continue. "Unless we perform, people will not give blind respect to the judiciary," he added.

The President of the Bar Association, G.B.S. Dillon also spoke on the occasion of inauguration of the facility of Diagnostic centre available for the members of the Bar and High Court Staff. Justice Surya Kant requested the Bar Office Bearers to also allow the "consumer of justice", the litigants, to use the Centre. "After all, all of us are in existence because of them only," he added.