Gauhati High Court has helped enhance ethos of peaceful coexistence in NE region: President

Chief Justice of India, Assam Governor, Chief Minister attend platinum jubilee celebration of GHC

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: “It is heartening to see that the Gauhati High Court continues to uphold the customary laws that have been in practice in some of the states under its jurisdiction. By respecting the sentiments of the indigenous people, this institution has helped enhance the ethos of peaceful coexistence in this region,” said President of India, Droupadi Murmu during the function organized to mark the completion of 75 years of the Gauhati High Court (GHC) in Guwahati today. On the occasion, she launched a mobile app ‘Bhoroxa’ made for the safety of women and elderly people.

Addressing the gathering, the President said that the Gauhati High Court holds a unique place in India’s judicial landscape. “After its inception in 1948, it had jurisdiction over seven states for more than six decades and still has jurisdiction over four states. It has established a distinct identity for itself by producing a number of legal luminaries. It has also received attention for delivering several landmark decisions,” she said. She expressed confidence that the Gauhati High Court would continue to serve the people in the same manner in the years to come.

The President said that the north-eastern region is possibly the best example of how various communities have lived together historically. As a result, it has rich ethnic and linguistic diversity. In such a region, institutions need to have a great deal of sensitivity and responsibility, as divergent traditions and laws govern the lives of the people of the region. The legislations applicable to different areas may vary, but the entire area is administered by a common High Court.

Speaking about environmental degradation, the President said, “In our time, we must become sensitive to ecological justice. Environmental degradation has led to great injustice to many communities around the world. We need to be sensitive to other species as well as towards the whole ecology, because humankind as a whole has done unprecedented damage, that is, injustice to the other members of Mother Nature’s family.” She expressed confidence that the legal fraternity would also make meaningful contributions to it.

The President said that justice, by definition, has to be inclusive, and thus must be accessible to all. “However, access to justice is hindered by many factors. Cost of justice is one of them. We need to keep expanding the reach of free legal counselling. Language of justice is another hindrance, but there is praiseworthy progress in that direction and the higher judiciary has started making verdicts available in more and more regional languages,” said the President.

She said that the increasing role of technology in the administration of justice has been solving many problems that had affected the system for long. She urged lawyers and students of law to find technological solutions in the legal domain that can provide a helping hand to the poor and the needy.

“Our courtrooms provide a space for common citizens to converse to the state on equal terms using the language of the rule of law. The challenge before us as judges, as lawyers is how do we publicize the rule of law? Court proceedings are a crucial part of imparting legal consciousness among the general public. More importantly, court proceedings also perform the important function of building public memory and ensuring that the past is not forgotten,” said Chief Justice of India Justice DY Chandrachud while speaking at the function.

He further said that the Supreme Court of India should not be a Delhi-based court, it should be a court for the entire country. He said that young lawyers should be encouraged and motivated as they have better relations with clients. “The judiciary should be equal for all classes of people,” he said.

The Chief Justice of India further added that the justice system should not make villians out of the victims. The victims must get justice and the culprits must get due punishment.

He said, “The work which we do today doesn’t only speak about today but also about our future.” “We are also responsible for the relationship between the High Court and the District Judiciary,” he added.

About the mobile app ‘Bhoroxa’, the Chief Justice of India said that it is a communication-specific digital tool that localizes the support and connects the users with local support structures.

Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria also attended the platinum jubilee celebrations of Gauhati High Court. Speaking on the occasion, the Governor said, “Judiciary is considered as one of the most important pillars of any democracy. It is the judiciary which finally interprets the Constitution and its provisions. As the custodian and upholder of rule of law, defender of justice, and enforcer of right and liberty - the role of the judiciary is immense.”

The Governor also said that the Gauhati High Court as a custodian of law and defender of justice has been advocating justice since the last 75 years of its glorious existence. It has given 75 years of tireless services towards justice and the protection of the Indian Constitution. The legacy of the GHC is a remarkable testament to its unwavering commitment to fairness and equality. “I hope that GHC’s efforts to serve society and dispense justice continue to set an exemplary standard for all to follow,” the Governor added.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma appreciated the role played by the Gauhati High Court as true guardian of human rights, protector of the Constitution and promoter of the age-old democratic ethos. He said this apex court has been a major catalyst in empowering the citizens of the region to be well informed about their rights. He also lauded its contribution in creating a pedigree of legal luminaries and for its unique distinction as an institution of superior standards and lofty ideals.

Stating that India has a glorious legal tradition, the Chief Minister said that the Gauhati High Court has, time and again, stood with the common people in their testing times and played out its role as their saviour. He further said that Gauhati High Court has a unique identity for being the common High Court for all the seven states of the Northeast for a longer span of its existence. He said that this Court has been dealing with the fascinating task of interpreting enacted laws as well as tribal laws and customs and is having judicial authority on subjects falling under the 6th Schedule of the Constitution of India, which is unique to this region only. He further said that this institution inspires enormous trust and confidence among the people.

Sarma informed that the Assam Government had decided to create a new campus of Gauhati High Court, work for which would start within this year and sought support from the Union Law Minister in this endeavour.

Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju, Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court Justice Sandeep Mehta, Judges of the Gauhati High Court along with a host of other dignitaries were present in the platinum jubilee celebrations.

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