Chief Justice Sivagnanam Commends Unique Practice Of Calcutta HC Senior Advocates Preparing Their Own Handwritten Notes

In an emotional speech before the Madras Bar Association, Justice T.S. Sivagnaman who has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court, delivered his remarks on his time at the Madras High Court, his experiences in Calcutta and the importance of respecting the system and its processes.

Justice Sivagnaman was sworn in as an Additional Judge of the Madras High Court in 2009, and made permanent in 2011. Thereafter, he was transferred to the Calcutta High Court in 2021, and then elevated to the position of Chief Justice on the 11^th of May 2023. These remarks came in the backdrop of his first visit to Madras High Court since his transfer, at the invitation of the Madras Bar Association.  

Recounting his time spent wading through the corridors of the Madras High Court, Justice Sivagnaman became nostalgic about the twenty-three years he spent at the Court- thirteen of which he spent as a Judge. However, keeping his emotions and nostalgia aside, he spoke in a business-like manner about the importance and relevance of the Collegium system in the selection of Judges of various High Courts across the country.

“The Collegium thought fit that I would be a suitable candidate to become a judge and so it recommended my name and I became a judge of the Madras High Court in 2009. The same Collegium, the institution, men may differ but the institution continues- though fit that I should leave this place and go to Calcutta. I obeyed the orders. By that I mean giving respect to the system. If we do not support the system, then it certainly will not support us, but rather it will fail us.”

In discussing the swearing-in ceremony at Calcutta High Court, Justice Sivagnaman labelled it ‘unique’ and drew comparisons with similar ceremonies at the Madras High Court. In his inimitable style, the Chief Justice made some light humour about the competition between the High Courts of Madras and Calcutta regarding which is oldest High Court in India. Justice Sivagnaman shared how grateful he was to receive the support of, and be accepted wholeheartedly by his fellow judges as well as the Bar in Calcutta and wished the same for Justice Sanjay Gangapurwala, who was appointed as Chief Justice of the Madras High Court.

“The Hon’ble judges of Calcutta High Court have accepted me as I am and [I hope] even our Chief Justice (Justice Gangapurwala) will be readily accepted by all his brothers and sisters as well as the members of the Bar. That is the great tradition of this post that we share between Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Initially I heard that the Bar in West Bengal was ‘very mighty’; the amount of hard work they put in is excellent; they have also accepted me.”

Justice Sivagnaman shared his admiration at how both Junior and Senior Advocates at the Calcutta High Court, were very well-prepared regarding their matters and always courteous in their interactions. He spoke glowingly of the Senior Advocates who argued their matter before the Court in their individual capacity and even shared his surprise at learning that they would themselves prepare handwritten notes of their arguments to present before the Court.

“One unique thing I found is that every Senior Advocate who practises in Calcutta High Court prepares his [own] notes. Handwritten and not typewritten notes. Even including the page numbers, the Senior Advocates prepare [these] in their own handwriting.”

Finally, he invited his fellow colleagues at the Bar to visit him in Calcutta, if they would happen to pass through, but warned that the summer months may not be the best time to visit due to the unbearable temperatures, which he compared to be identical to Chennai’s. He concluded the speech by thanking the Madras Bar Association for inviting him back to the High Court campus as it enabled him to travel once again on the Beach Road and see the Marina beach and conveyed words of encouragement for the newer members of the Bar regarding practice before chartered High Courts such as Madras and Calcutta.

“I thank the Madras Bar Association for inviting me, as it enabled me to travel on Beach Road, and see Marina beach after one and a half years. It is very hard to be extricated from the Madras High Court campus as it is such a magnetic campus. It becomes your parent High court. Exposure from a chartered high court definitely helps. [My] transition to another Chartered High Court, especially with an original side, has been smooth because of the exposure I got as an advocate and judge of this Court.”

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