Contribution Of Dr. Justice S. Muralidhar To Orissa Judiciary

Maybe that’s why his farewell on 7^th August did not seem like an adieu rather a momentous occasion of one stalwart of law passing the baton of justice to his successor, Justice Talapatra. While the burden of his legacy will be difficult to bear, it’s Dr. Muralidhar’s guidance which has made it possible for this High Court to fulfil its promise.

Besides his genius as a judge, he was also a brilliant administrator. His first endeavour in Orisa High Court came in the form of decluttering of the High Court, which he made sure reflects on the district courts as well. Every section was refurbished and well-organized with a motive to make it more disciplined, action-oriented, and approachable. The employees of the Registry started breathing some fresh air after the Registry was moulded like a corporate office.

In my opinion, his greatest contribution to the Odisha judiciary is the state-of-the-art Record Room Digitisation Center (RRDC). This was made possible due to the personal and meticulous involvement of Justice Muralidhar into the project. A single visit to this center would make one feel mesmerized, in terms of detailing involved in the process of digitalizing the case records.

RRDC is a facility containing legacy records dating back to the early-1800s from the Patna, Calcutta, and Madras high courts bringing forth the rich legal history of Odisha. Case records are repositories of information reflecting contemporaneous times and can be sources for further research. It is a modern monument of pride for Odisha, which shall always bear the spirit of legal innovation and testimony of the effort of our dearest Justice Muralidhar.

It seems the rich legal history of Odisha, which always found itself in the shrouds of ignorance, discovered its saviour in Justice Muralidhar.

The Centre for Judicial Archives, engaged in preserving and archiving the old and fragile records of the Courts of Odisha was set up under his leadership and guidance. It allows seamless access to the Research Scholars, officials, and the public. It is actively engaged in the compilation of the judicial history of Odisha. The magnificent building which is under construction for this purpose is the first in the country.

The revamping of the Museum of Justice needs a special mention in the contribution of Justice Muralidhar. Antique and fragile records from all over the state including the records of the tribal justice system and trials of freedom fighters have been preserved for the people to see and seek pride in their illustrious past.

Odisha is a land of multifarious cultures. Justice Muralidhar made sure to include and demonstrate this diversity of land onto the walls of the corridors of the High Court. It showcases art and artifacts from all over Odisha. His devotion towards inclusivity and democratic participation took him to every district of the State. He strongly believed that the one who is holding the highest judicial position in the state needs to empathetically know its people and the socio-economic and cultural setup of the state.

This insight into the needs of the state vis-à-vis the High Court was immediately captured in his endeavours leading to the setting up of virtual High Courts at the district level, with e-filling facilities. It seems that branches of High Court have been opened up in every district Court of the state. Today, advocates across the state appear before the benches of the Orissa High Court through this facility. This greatly caters to the needs of the advocates to appear virtually, who were otherwise finding it difficult to present their case either due to systematic or economic hinderances. Thus, making the High Court the sentinel quivive of the people of Odisha in letter and spirit.

The employees of the High Court were very dearer to justice Muralidhar. He made slew of measures for their welfare in the form of having a system of dress Code, felicitating the employees on regular basis who were completing 25 years of service and many more. He has got it allocated from the Government of Orissa about 10 acres of land for the construction of the official residence of the employees and the work is commencing sooner.

Justice Muralidhar pioneered the digitization of the legal procedure in the judicial set-up of Odisha. He strictly believed that judicial infrastructure has to keep up with time. Paperless courts, along with e-filling systems were introduced to address the crunch of space, quick access to records without wastage of time, and improving overall efficiency. Now, the High Court of Orissa is having at least 8 paperless Court and this model has also been getting replicated in the District Judiciary. Berhampur District Court is the first Court in the state to have all paperless Courts.

The 75^th year of the celebration of Orissa High Court under the leadership of Justice S. Muralidhar was a momentous occasion of celebration of justice. A Commemorative Postage Stamp featuring the image of the High Court was also released on the occasion, which made it only the ninth High Court in the country for which a Commemorative Postage Stamp has been released by the Postal Department.

Apart from the above contributions, his impact on the young minds of the Bar was significant. In the PIL matters he encouraged young lawyers to enlighten themselves regarding the important subjects of the state and play a significant role in the justice deliverance. His push towards the inevitable part of fact-finding in a PIL, was to develop sensitivity and empathy in young minds. He wanted the young minds to have direct exposure to the living conditions of downtrodden, deprived and ill-privileged which included the likes of Leprosy-affected people and sanitation workers.

In youth, he channelized his energy through important PIL subjects and pro bono cases and he carried this attribute into his judgeship. Throughout his tenure, his heart went out for those who could not seek help of the system against their injustices. He frowned upon the adulation of the judges as the Gods of Justice among men and took upon a mission to simplify the Judge lawyer dialogue in the courtroom. Therefore, after his elevation as a Justice in the Delhi High Court, he insisted to be addressed as “Sir” instead of other colonial titles. One can learn the true import of humility in greatness. There are many unspoken contributions made by him that this writer is finding dearth of space to capture in this limited space. I remember the great words showered by Albert Einstein on Gandhiji and if I may be allowed to twist it slightly it would read as “Generations to come will scarcely believe that such a Chief Justice was ever posted in the High Court of Orissa.”