My Farewell Speech !
12 Days- Promotions given
During the SECOND TENURE which was the shortest period of 12 days from September 28 to October 9th of 1999, you never failed to give relief to the officers and staff. The question of promotions to the officers and staff of the High Court was pending in High Court for a very long time. Immediately on your assumption as Acting Chief Justice for the second time you solved this problem and gave promotions to the officers and staff and thus brought cheers in their life.
3rd Tenure – 10 points programme
During THIRD TENURE as Acting Chief Justice from 6th June 2000 till date the achievements made by you are not small. I may be failing in my duty if I do not mention them here;
- Separate Press Building was constructed.
- Supreme Court Exhibition was inaugurated and held for 2 weeks.
- On Independence Day, a Prison Adalat was held at Central Prison, Chennai and a Legal Aid Cell was also set up in the Prison Campus.
- As Executive Chairman of the Tamil Nadu Legal Services Authority, a Souvenir, first of its kind in this State, was published in Madurai.
- Nine Acts were translated in Tamil and released and distributed to the Public to inculcate legal knowledge and legal awareness in legal aid programme.
- Orientation Programme was arranged for 50 newly recruited Civil Judges (Junior Division) and posting given.
- Several Lok Adalats were held and the important one among them is the Lok Adalat held at Neyveli, wherein long pending Land Acquistion cases were settled and amounts distributed to the claimants.
- After summer vacation 2000, about 16 new Courts were inaugurated in various places in Tamil Nadu.
- Separate Pay & Accounts Office has been sanctioned by the Government exclusively for the High Court.
- Arrangement to supply the cause-list through the Internet and in print in the night itself.
Of the above achievements during your THIRD TENURE, the inauguration of 16 Courts in various places in Tamil Nadu after Summer Vacation during the current year is a very great achievement. In this matter you have created a record. The creation of Pay and Accounts Office in the High court Campus exclusively for the High court is welcomed by all he staff and officers of the High Court. In this respect, I make an appeal to Your Lordship that all the Courts, Judicial Officers and Law officers functioning in the High Court campus should be attached to the newly created Pay and Accounts Office here so that all the staff and officers working in this campus benefit from it.
The most rewarding benefit in so far as the Advocates based in this Metropolitan and practicing in the High Court are concerned is the supply of cause-list overnight through the computers linked to the Internet and in print. My colleagues and myself personally thank you and lustily cheer this achievement of yours.
3 Months and 36,945 cases
It is noteworthy that in less than 3 months i.e. from 6-6-2000 to 31-8-2000 you have achieved a record disposal of 36,945 cases in the High Court including 52 Full Bench matters in respect of the copies of orders during the same period, out of 20,073 cases the order copies have been issued in 19545 cases leaving only a negligible pendency of 528 cases.
The present Government is always very keen in solving the problems facing the Judiciary. Your Lordship made the most of this Government’s goodwill a good gesture. I will be failing in my duty if I do not convey the gratitude of the entire Bar and of the Judiciary to the Hon’ble Chief Minister Dr. Kalaignar for lavishly sanctioning these for the construction of 286 Additional Law Chambers, one more floor in the Annexe building, a garage in the Administration Building, a separate building for the Press besides sanctioning 294 posts in various categories to the High Court Office and various other projects proposed by the High Court. This only shows the Hon’ble Chief Minister’s respect and regard for the Judiciary his concern for its problems and his readiness to help it out even when the Government is faced with the financial crunch.
Your Lordship has been very kind to the members of the Bar, who feel at home whenever the appear before you. You never hurt the feelings of anyone of the Bar members. True to the dictum that no person is dressed for the day unless he wears a smile on his face, you always wear a smiling face which attracts each and every member of the Bar. This sterling quality has earned you a lofty place in the hearts of Bar members.
I have had the privilege of welcoming 4 Chief Justices, working with 5 Chief Justices and welcoming 26 Judges in my capacity as Advocate- General within a span of 4 years. I cherish this privilege. I hope to welcome many more new Judges in the next few days and request Your Lordship to take steps to get them soon.
Your Lordship is left with more than 4 years of service. Considering your tremendous achievements I three short spells of about 7 months as Acting Chief Justice we are very confident that this High Court will be there to see many vicissitudes of changes in many fields in the 4 long years before you. But we do not want to be very greedy. We would like to spare Your Lordship to the Supreme Court to bring in more achievements on all India level so that the entire country will have the advantage of hose achievements.
I on behalf of the Bar and on my own, extend hearty welcome to you Lordship to be the permanent Chief Justice of this great High Court, assuring you our fullest cooperation at all times to come. Thank you.
Chief Justice N.K. Jain replies
My esteemed brother and sister Judges, former Judge of the Supreme Court and the Madaras High Court, Justice Y.R.Meena Calcutta High Court, Justice R.M. Lodha and Justice D.N.Sinha Judges of the Bombay High Court, Mr. K.V. Venktapathy Advocate General. Respective Presidents Mr. M.V. Venkatachalpathi, President Bar Association, Mr. R. Karuppar, President of Madras High Court Advocates Association, Mrs. V.J. Latha President of the Women Lawyers Association, Mr. T.R.Rajagopalan, Additional Advocate- General Mr. V.T. Gopalan, Additional Solicitor-General for Southern Region, former Advocate-General, Senior Advocates, members of the Bar and the legal fraternity, the officers and staff of the High Court distinguished guest present here;
Bench & Bar – One Family
The Almighty has given me an opportunity to work since 19-12-1997 in this High Court, which is one of the prestigious chartered High Court. During this period, I enjoyed the full co-operation of the Honourable Judges, who are now retired/ transferred, the Honourable Judge, who are now adorning the Bench of the Supreme Court, the sitting brother and sister Judge, senior advocates, members of the Bar, officers and staff of the High Court.
Now with the grace of God, I have been made the Chief Justice of this High Court for which I have no words to express my sincere gratitude to the Honourable the Chief Justice of India other Honourable Judges of the Supreme Court, other constitutional functionaries and all concerned for their kindness shown to me. The Advocate-General and other speakers have said good words as per the tradition for which I have no words to thank them at this moment. Hitherto, I had to love, affection, assistance and co-operation of all concerned without which I could not have performed my duties with satisfaction. My brother and sister Judges have been extending excellent cooperation and we have been able to discharge our constitutional functions effectively, of course this could not have been possible without the cooperation of the Bar. The Bench and the Bar are one family; I expect the same from you all to continue, so as to achieve grater heights of judicial achievements and to maintain the rich tradition and heritage of this prestigious institution, as Chief Justice of this High Court. Once again, I thank you, the Advocate General. The suggestion of Advocate General and others will be taken note of and will be implemented at the appropriate time.
I pray God to bless me with sufficient strength in discharging my duties for which I have been ordained in a dignified manner, to protect the valuable rights of the people of this State, and to serve the cause of justice.
Once again I thank you all.
