Justice Katju: Justice M.N. Venkatachaliah

Justice Markandey Katju-

(Justice Markandey Katju is a former Judge, Supreme Court of India, and former Chairman, Press Council of India. The views expressed are his own)

During my 40 years in the legal world ( 20 years as a lawyer and 20 years as a Judge ) I have known ( and met ) many great Judges, but I regard Justice M.N. Venkatachaliah as a class above everyone else.

https://skoch.in/justice-m-n-venkatachaliah/

Justice Venkatachaliah was a Judge in the Karnataka High Court from 1975 to 1987, then elevated to the Supreme Court in 1987, finally becoming Chief Justice of India in February 1993, and retiring in October 1994 at the age of 65.

Thereafter he became Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission and subsequently held other important posts. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan by the President of India.

He is now in his 94th year and lives in his house in Bangalore. Whenever I visit Bangalore I always make it a point to meet him.

Justice Venkatachaliah set the highest standards of integrity and professionalism throughout his career as a Judge, and he was my role model. He was, and is, an embodiment of erudition and urbanity.

I met him for the first time when he was a Judge of the Supreme Court and I was a junior Judge in the Allahabad High Court. Thereafter I have met him numerous times, both in Delhi and in his home town Bangalore where he settled down after his retirement.

I often sought his advice on the course of action I should follow, and he always guided me correctly.

For instance, when I was a Judge in Allahabad High Court ( 1991-2004 ) I often received invitations from various persons/organizations to attend functions or parties ( and a Judge receives many such invitations ). I consulted him about whether I should accept the invitation. He told me I should ordinarily refuse all invitations ( except by the Bar Association and family members ), as a Judge should be reclusive if he is to perform his functions well. And if I was of two minds about whether to accept an invitation or not, I should reject it, for by doing so one loses nothing, but by accepting it one is taking a risk.

I followed this advice throughout my career as a Judge. When I became Chief Justice of Madras High Court in 2004 I received many invitations to attend parties/functions, but I turned almost all down.

Once the Chief Secretary of Tamilnadu came to my chamber with an invitation from the Chief Minister Ms. Jayalalitha to attend the Republic Day Parade on Marina beach, where the Governor would take the salute, but ( following the advice of Justice Venkatachaliah ) I politely turned it down, and requested the Chief Secretary to convey my apology to the Chief Minister. The reason for doing so ( which of course I did not tell the Chief Secretary ) was that if I went to the function, and a politician with a bad reputation extended his hand for a handshake which I could not refuse, and a photo was taken by someone which was published the next day in the newspapers, what would be my position? Would not the public say that here was a Chief Justice who was hobnobbing with corrupt politicians? So, I followed Justice Venkatachaliah’s advice.

I recommend to all readers of this post living in Bangalore, and also to others visiting Bangalore, to meet Justice Venkatachaliah at his home ( if you give my reference you will surely get an appointment ). It will be like going on a pilgrimage.

 

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