Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

No more `My Lord'

The Bar Council of India's decision to do away with the feudalistic way of addressing judges as `My Lord' is correct but it may not be wise. By invoking `My Lord,' there was a remote possibility of justice being done but with that expression gone we do not know where to look up to! Good. It will no longer be divine justice. Blessed are the poor. Amen!

N.G.R. Prasad,
Chennai

Well done, Bar Council of India! When are we going to replace the sartorial legacy of black coat and robe in this tropical country?

S. Kanakasabapathy,
Chennai

Dispensing with the practice of addressing judges as `My Lord' and `Your Lordship' is most welcome. There are other areas that also need to rid themselves of the colonial legacy. One is the dress code for receiving degrees during convocations. Can degrees not be awarded/received without the flowing robes?

Another is the compulsory wearing of ties by students in some schools. Ties are meant to give protection in cold weather. Forcing students to wear them compulsorily in tropical weather is most inimical. Should our children be subjected to such torture?

V. Hariharan,
Chennai

The decision ends a centuries-old practice. But it will be difficult for senior lawyers to shift to the new mode of address as they attach a lot of respect to the words `My Lord.' Salutation is intended to generate respect, and the use of `Sir' may be avoided as it may create a feeling of disrespect to both the bench and the bar.

V.P. Ramesan,
Tripunithura, Kerala

It is amusing to find many supporting the removal of `My Lord' in courts, little realising that it is meant to pay homage to the majesty of law and justice and is not personal genuflexion.

N. Dharmeshwaran,
Udhagamandalam, T.N.

The decision to dispense with `My Lord' is just the beginning of reforms necessary in our judicial system. Removing huge holidays, computerising court operations, and doing away with court fee payment with stamp papers are some measures that will make our courts contemporary and relevant.

P.S. Sriram,
Suzhou, Jiangsu

The decision to stop using `My Lord' and ` Your Lordship' apparently because it is a relic of the colonial past seems absurd. The British have given us so much, including almost the entire legal system, besides education, administration, and the political system. Are we going to dispense with them too?

Sudheendhra Putty,
Bangalore

The anachronism of using the prefix `His Excellency' for Governors also deserves to be abolished.

M.S. Venkataraman,
Granite Bay, California

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