Do not support any cause because client is powerful: SC judge to lawyers

Supreme court judge Jagdish Singh Khehar on Saturday suggested the lawyers to not support any cause just because the client is powerful as the approach damages the image of the judiciary.

Speaking at the inaugural session of a two-day national law conference on “Dispensation of Justice- challenges posed by new and emerging trends in law”, Khehar said that he has dealt with cases of big corporate houses in his career and asked the lawyers to not just be a mouthpiece of their client just because he or she is powerful.

“A cause should not be supported merely because the person involved is powerful or the fee comes from a corporate organisation. 

“A lawyer cannot be mere a mouthpiece of his client and he cannot associate himself in maligning the reputation of a judicial officer just because his client failed to secure a desired order from the officer,” he said. 

Khehar said that such kind of approach may damage the name of the judiciary.

He also said that the number of judges in China was many times higher than India and laid stress upon the governments’ support to the justice dispensing institutions within the framework of finances that the governments have.

Chief Justice of Rajasthan Sunil Ambwani, said, new challenges have emerged before judiciary in the last few years which needed to be addressed properly. He said that application of IT in courts have enhanced the functioning of the courts.

“In the changing global environment, emerging trends in the law have posed variety of challenges before the judiciary which not only includes judges but lawyers and various stakeholders including the Executive, teachers and students of the law, social activists and all,” he said. With the globalisation, the role of justice dispensation in the industrialised world has assumed a greater importance.