President Murmu Urges Judiciary To Ensure Access To Justice For Deprived Sections, Prioritise Environment Protection

The President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu joined as the Chief Guest in the valedictory ceremony of the 75^th anniversary celebration of the Orissa High Court which took place at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, Cuttack on Wednesday.

The event was attended by a galaxy of dignitaries and legal luminaries. Chief Justice of the High Court Dr. Justice S. Muralidhar presided over the event, along side the presence of the Governor of Odisha Prof. Ganeshi Lal and all the Judges of the High Court.

In an address delivered both in Odia and English, the President urged the Judiciary and the legal professionals to work towards ensuring free and easy access to justice for the tribals and the deprived sections of the society. She further asked the Judges to prioritise the protection of environment while adjudicating cases.

At the outset, the President recalled the rich history of Odisha and the Barabati Killa. She reminded the audience of the supreme contributions and sacrifices made by the Odia legends like Utkal Gouraba Madhusudan Das, Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das and Utkal Keshari Dr. Harekrushna Mahatab.

The President lauded the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India for taking the initiative to dedicate a special postage stamp in the honour of the Orissa High Court on the occasion of its platinum jubilee.

“I am delighted to be in your midst today. I am happy not only because the Orissa High Court is celebrating its 75^th anniversary but also due to the presence of the galaxy of legal luminaries and other eminent personalities,” said the President.

History Of Orissa High Court

While providing a brief account of the history of the Orissa High Court, the President said,

“Odisha became a State on 1^st April 1936. Prior to that, it was a part of the Bengal Presidency and then a part of Bihar. Some parts of Odisha were also in the Madras Presidency and Central Provinces. Accordingly, there was no separate High Court for Odisha. A Circuit Bench of Patna High Court had been functioning at Cuttack since 1916. The High Court of Orissa was established nearly 12 years after the formation of the State on this very day in 1948. The establishment of the High Court reflected the long-standing aspirations of the people of Odisha.”

She further informed the gathering that the High Court started functioning with only 4 Judges but now the sanctioned strength of Judges has gone up to 33. She expressed her satisfaction over the remarkable rate of disposal that the High Court has achieved over the last two years.

“I was informed that due to expeditious delivery of justice, the pendency of cases has gone down to ¼ of the previous backlog. For this, I appreciate Chief Justice Dr. S. Muralidhar and other Judges.”

She also praised various initiatives taken by the Orissa High Court to adapt to the technological advancements for the purpose of delivery of justice.

Remembering Legal Luminaries

The President said that from the very of day of its establishment till the present day, the High Court has set many a benchmark. She acknowledged the immense contributions of multiple legal luminaries from Odisha at the national level.

On this momentous occasion, she congratulated the sitting and former Judges of the High Court as well as the lawyers who have immensely contributed for the development of different branches of law over the last 75 years.

“Behind the name and fame of this High Court, there are your hard-work, sincerity and intellect. So, you people are worthy of all the praise” she said applauding the lawyers and Judges.

She underlined the names of Justice Bachu Jagannadhadas, Justice Ranganath Misra, Justice Radha Charan Patnaik, Justice Deba Priya Mohapatra, Justice Gopala Ballav Patnaik, Justice Arijit Pasayat, Justice Ananga Kumar Patnaik and Justice Dipak Misra who were elevated to the Supreme Court.

She also expressed her pride for three of the above Judges (Justices Ranganath Misra, Gopala Ballav Patnaik and Dipak Misra) who went on to hold the highest position of the Indian Judiciary, i.e. the Chief Justice of India.

Ensuring Quick Delivery Of Justice

She said that the legal profession in India has stood the test of time. It has earned the trust and respect of the citizenry. It stands strong as one of the important pillars of the world’s largest democracy. She further urged everybody concerned with the legal profession to ensure expeditious trials and quick justice for everyone.

“This can set free those innocents who are languishing in jails on trivial charges. This is a subject close to my heart and I have spoken about it on previous occasions also. In my long experience in public life, I have come across instances of people incarcerated for periods longer than the punishments stipulated for the crimes of which they are accused. Such delays are a major concern. Due to this, innocent persons lose their prime periods of life. The victims also lose the hope as they do not see the guilty facing the legal consequences during their lifetimes,” the President said expressing concern.

She, therefore, urged all the stakeholders connected with the Orissa High Court to work towards speedy dispensation of justice and to set an example for the entire country.

Protection Of Environment & Access To Justice For Deprived Sections

Giving out a strong message to the entire legal fraternity, the President stressed the importance of protecting the natural environment, ecology and wildlife.

“I, as a girl from Adivasi community, have seen the Adivasi way of life and realised that living in tandem with the nature is an integral part of our way of life. Therefore, along with the Legislature and the Executive, the Judiciary must prioritise the conservation of environment and wildlife. If we want to give secured society to the upcoming generations, we must be responsible towards protection of the natural environment,” she said.

She also raised the issue of upholding the rights of socially and economically backward classes. She said that the deprived sections of people are not fully aware of the legal system and the functioning of Courts. Many of them do not have the means to approach the Judiciary for enforcing their rights. So, she stressed, it must be our duty to ensure that deprived sections of people get justice in a smooth manner.

“There should be intellectual discussions on this matter. I am happy to know that different authorities are taking steps for providing ‘free legal aid’ to these sections of the society. Many lawyers have also come forward to give pro bono service. I wish these will facilitate easy access to justice for the common people,” she added.

Gandhi’s Talisman: A Guiding Light For Dispensation Of Justice

While parting with her address, the President expressed hope that Judges will remain impartial while judging cases and while dispensing justice, they would remind themselves of the Gandhi’s talisman which reads as follows:

“Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man [woman] whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him [her].”