'Smiling Judge, Buddha-Like, Lover Of Arts & Sports' : Supreme Court Bids Adieu To Justice Hrishikesh Roy, Lauds His Compassion

The first Court of the Supreme Court on Friday (January 31) witnessed a heartwarming farewell ceremony for Justice Hrishikesh Roy, who is retiring today. A ceremonial bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna was held to honour the outgoing judge.In the ceremonial bench proceedings, the members of the bar expressed in a resounding voice bid adieu to Justice Roy, showing how much he was loved and respected by the Supreme Court bar. The lawyers lauded Justice Roy's compassionate approach and unwavering commitment to justice.Attorney General for India R Venkataramani spoke about Justice Roy's ever-present smile, even amidst heated exchanges and tense hearings, and said that Justice Roy believed that a "smile is a curve which can set many things straight." "You carried a rare charm which made the bar productive," AG said. Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta echoed this sentiment, emphasising how Justice Roy's humour eased the court room tension.Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, the President of the Supreme Court Bar Association, showered encomiums on Justice Roy's humane approach to the law. Sibal also mentioned the initiatives taken by Justice Roy to arrange for relief during the Assam floods."I know you have helped people in Assam Floods, I know you talk to deaf and dumb people in their sign language, I know you walk to the juniors who feel alone in parties," Sibal said."You have an old-school charm which will be missed in the court for years to come and your boldness is something very few judges have," he added.Tributes were also paid by Vipin Nair, President of the SCAORA, Senior Advocates Dushyant Dave, Meenakshi Arora, Shadan Farasat, ASGs Aishwarya Bhati & N Venkataraman etc.Mr Nair mentioned how all three judges on the bench (CJI Khanna, Justice Roy and Justice Kumar) were alumni of the esteemed Campus Law Centre of the Delhi Univerisity. He added that Justice Roy has been blessed by Kamakhya Devi in Assam when he was appointed as a Judge of the Guwahati High Court and also by Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala when he became the Chief Justice of Kerala High Court. ASG Bhati said that Justice Roy's Courtroom was a "Buddha-like Court, calm and composed." Farasat said that Justice Roy kept a fine balance between humour and discipline.CJI Sanjiv Khanna praised Justice Roy's "exceptional legal acumen and discipline", describing him as a well-rounded personality with a love for arts, sports, and literature.Justice Sanjay Kumar shared insights into Justice Roy's sporting achievements, recalling his days as a hockey champion and footballer at Delhi Public School. He recounted a legendary match where DPS defeated Modern School, largely due to Justice Roy's skill. Justice Kumar also noted that in recent years, Justice Roy has taken up golf with enthusiasm.Justice Roy's passion for theatre and arts was widely acknowledged. Justice Kumar mentioned that, during his years as a lawyer, Justice Roy directed plays. As a judge, whenever he goes for plays and art events, he takes his law clerks also along, Justice Kumar said. Additionally, he was known for his love of books and frequently gifted them to friends.Reflecting on his journey, Justice Roy reminisced about his first appearance before the Supreme Court in 1982, which was before the then CJI YV Chandrachud to request for a pass-over. "To my great horror, I was saying Passover, no sound was coming, my vocal cords froze. That was my first appearance. I am sure this is how all of us have learnt," Justice Roy remembered.He said that as a young lawyer, he used to feel great happiness when his name appeared in court proceedings and that is the reason why as a judge, he ensures that the junior lawyers' names are also recorded in the records."I hope in my 23 years of career I did justice....Finally as I exit from court 1, I hope my parents feel that I fulfilled their expectations," Justice Roy said.Justice Hrishikesh Roy was born on 1st February 1960. He obtained his LL.B Degree from Campus Law Centre, University of Delhi in 1982. On 21.12.2004, he was designated as Senior Advocate, by the Gauhati High Court.Justice Roy was sworn-in as an Additional Judge of Gauhati High Court on 12.10.2006 and served as permanent Judge with effect from 15.07.2008. In August 2018, Justice Roy was appointed as the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court. He was elevated to the Supreme Court on September 23, 2019.

'Smiling Judge, Buddha-Like, Lover Of Arts & Sports' : Supreme Court Bids Adieu To Justice Hrishikesh Roy, Lauds His Compassion

Anmol Kaur Bawa

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