Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 1: Chief Justice of J&K High Court Justice Badar Durrez Ahmed today said that quick disposal of the cases with fairness is the major yardstick to judge the quality of judicial officers.
Delivering inaugural address at the Induction Training Programme for newly appointed Munsiffs (Civil Judges Junior Division) in the State Judicial Academy here, Chief Justice said, “there is no competition for a judge except fairness and sense of doing justice of being fair”.
“Attribute is something where some material like good has an attribute in the sense that its composition is different. Attribute of a glass tumbler is transparency. So attribute is transparency and how good is transparency, is the quality”, he said, adding “similarly for judges there are attributes and qualities. Being honest is an attribute. If a judge is called honest he has to be honest that is an attribute”.
“What is the quality of a judge is that how quickly he disposes of cases with fairness and justice that is the quality. So don’t ever confuse attribute with quality. The sine quoa non of a judge is that he must have very good sense of justice, integrity, sincerity, fairness and he must be dead honest not only to the case but to himself”, the Chief Justice further said.
Justice Alok Aradhe, Chairman, J&K State Judicial Academy, in his special address, said, “it is paramount on the part of a judicial officer to constantly remember that at court he is alone and is responsible for deed and action”, adding “maintaining punctuality during court hours is a respect for rule of law”.
“Non-maintenance of that principle, not only is violative of rule of law but also thereby an unethical conduct. A judge must have intellectual integrity which means avoidance of egotism and self-hypocrisy. Social hypocrisy at times may be excusable but self hypocrisy is not only inexcusable but condemnable”, he said, adding “a judge should have physical morality, intellectual objectivity and constitutional ethicality”.
Justice Janak Raj Kotwal, Member Judicial Academy said, “the most important function of the judge is to conduct the proceedings in a fair, orderly and dignified manner”, adding “finding the truth of contested issues of fact is the first concern of a trial judge”.
“It is the function of the judge to give maximum protection to rights and privileges of parties so that justice is not only done but appears to have been done. This is a function which demands a variety of skills on the part of the judge besides knowledge of law”, he said.
Justice M K Hanjura, Member Judicial Academy said, “the office of judge is not a matter of status and authority but it is a pious responsibility to be discharged with great care, concern and compassion”, adding “a common man wants justice – unbiased and expeditious. He cannot and will not appreciate the shortcomings in the system but only wants justice – pure and simple”.
The proceedings were conducted by Abdul Rashid Malik, Director, J&K State Judicial Academy. The working sessions of the Induction Training Programme were chaired by the Resource Person Justice O P Sharma, Former Judge, High Court of J&K, Harbans Lal, Former District & Sessions Judge,. Bhushan Lal Saraf, Former District & Sessions Judge and Abdul Rashid Malik, Director, J&K State Judicial Academy.
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