The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : State Judicial Academy finds permanent structure

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 26, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

State Judicial Academy finds permanent structure

By Our Staff Reporter

— Photo: R. Ragu

R.C. Lahoti, Chief Justice of India (centre), at the inauguration of the Tamil Nadu State Judicial Academy building in Chennai on Sunday. At left is AR. Lakshmanan, Supreme Court judge, and at right B. Subhashan Reddy, Chief Justice of the Madras High Court.

CHENNAI, JULY 25. The State Judicial Academy, which is sought to be developed into a premier research and development hub for judicial matters, got a `permanent habitat' today, with the Chief Justice of India, R.C. Lahoti, inaugurating a Rs. 4.5-crore 42,000-sqft structure.

This centre located , on the erstwhile Malligai premises on the Greenways Road here, will hold refresher courses, lectures and conferences on a continuous basis, besides imparting training to newly-inducted as well as in-service judicial officers. Services of retired and serving judges from higher judiciary and experts from forensic and other fields will be availed of for training munsifs/magistrates, sub-judges and District Judges in a wide range of issues. A sum of Rs. 50 lakhs has been invested on the library.

Role of judge

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Justice Lahoti said a modern judge must play the role of a social reformer and contribute to shaping and strengthening the social and economic policies of the nation.

In the age of globalisation and liberalisation, the judiciary "must shed its traditional style of living in ivory towers." Instead of confining his role to being an interpreter of law and adjudicator of disputes, the modern judge must create law.

India was yet to be free from the shackles of ignorance, injustice and inequalities, he said. "We cannot be said to have achieved freedom unless we have achieved the goal of social, economic and political justice for every person in the country." Mr. Justice Lahoti described judiciary as the "trustee of people's confidence in democratic values." He wanted the academy to work in close coordination with the National Judicial Academy in Bhopal.

Commending the Madras High Court Chief Justice, B. Subhashan Reddy's efforts for establishing the academy, he said the institution would transform subordinate judicial officers in Tamil Nadu into perfect judges.

Referring to the seminar on intellectual property rights (IPR) and remedies held today, he said the IPR would become a major part of litigation. The opening up of the economy had a profound impact on the domestic laws, and said, "an IPR judge cannot afford to be oblivious of developments elsewhere."

Justice AR. Lakshmanan, Judge, Supreme Court of India, said the academy was the best opportunity for judicial officers to hone their skills and knowledge, and urged them to be up to date with apex court rulings.

`Eternal students'

Mr. Justice Reddy, in his presidential address, said advocates and judicial officers were "eternal students" learning the ever-changing law, which was not still water but a running stream. Warning that failure to provide quality justice would be tantamount to injustice, the Chief Justice said the academy was the best place for both the newly-inducted and in-service officials to have their legal knowledge enriched.

The Minister for Law, D. Jayakumar, referring to the High Court's Madurai Bench complex, library building, besides the Judicial Academy complex, said it was the "golden era of Tamil Nadu judiciary."

Despite a severe resource crunch, the State Government provided all financial and logistical support for the judiciary to realise its long-pending projects, he said.

The Public Works Department Minister, O. Panneerselvam, announced that the State Government made financial outlays for court complexes in Theni, Srivilliputtur and Villupuram.

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